It was November 2014. Justin was interviewing for a new job at the University of Florida where Jack had been working for years. They met briefly on his interview day, but it wasn't until he started in January that Justin and Jack started to become friends. They spent the rest of the year getting to know each other, going to movies, playing video games, celebrating each other's milestone birthdays, and on December 23, 2015, they both decided to take a chance...

Ever since our first cooking class at The Fat Tuscan Cafe, we had talked about going to Italy on the cooking tour that the Cafe was trying to put together. It took 2 years, but when it was finally announced, we booked our tickets right away! We planned to bookend our weeklong tour in Tuscany with stops in Milan, Florence, and Rome. I knew as soon as soon as we decided we were going that Italy was where I was going to propose to Jack and he would never suspect a thing because we decided he would be the one to propose. On Saturday, October 6, 2018, we spent the day exploring Florence, drinking espresso, eating amazing Italian sandwiches, visiting the Uffizi Gallery, and purchasing new clothes for Jack since his bag had not arrived and I told him we had reservations for a nice dinner across the river. We were running a couple minutes behind schedule and on the way to the "restaurant," I told him that it was a small restaurant with only a couple of tables and I hope they didn't give ours away... We arrived to an unmarked building that was built in the 1500's, walked in and were told to go upstairs. As we entered the Palazzo Capponi, we were blown away by the floor to ceiling Frescoes and we noticed there was only one candlelit table in the center of the room. We were then greeted by a photographer, Alberto (I had been working with him for months), who asked us if we would like a souvenir photo in front of the Fresco. Once he took the photo, I got down on one knee and proposed to Jack with engraved custom Lego cuff links...he said Yes! We spent the rest of the evening together enjoying a private dinner presented by Michelin Starred Chef, Peter Brunel. The food, the wine, and the atmosphere were incredible. The night was perfect and one we will remember for the rest of our lives!