We're in Detroit, MI where Jack had relocated to after a recent promotion, and Jessica was beginning the second semester of her PhD. They met in February of 2020, the way many new city transplants do: on Hinge. Their first date was at Bobcat Bonnies, a gastropub where they learned they were both the youngest of four, had grown up in Ohio, and had familial ties to upstate New York: Jessica being from Buffalo, and Jack's family from Rochester and Syracuse. A few weeks later, the pandemic hit, a time filled with exploring new recipes, establishing their roles of head and sous chef (who's who? only one right answer...) and venturing to new spots in Detroit once things opened up. After two years of memories in Detroit, MI, they said buh-bye to the Midwest and moved down south to Charlotte. Since moving (almost) four years ago, they've spent many weekends exploring surrounding cities like Asheville, Ocean Isle, Charleston, and, you guessed it, Savannah. Fast forward to December of 2024, where Jessica and Jack spent Christmas with her oldest brother and sister-in-law. It was Christmas Eve, they were going for a walk to the lake, something Jessica had done countless times when visiting her family. Jack, dressed in a henley, jeans, and a nice coat, kindly suggested to Jessica, "hey, do you want to take a shower before you go on the walk?" To which Jessica, looking moderately dissheveled, replied, "I'm going to sweat on the walk, so no?" Shoulda. Showered. As they approached the lake front, Jack put his arm around her, they both collectively blacked out, blacked back in, and there was Jack, down on one knee. These days, you can find them walking hand-in-hand around Charlotte, with their sweet puppy, Bonnie, named after that first date that sealed their fate.