Joe and Mary met back in early 2023 at a burger shop in Pittsburgh where some mutual friends were meeting up. They chatted minimally that night and parted ways. Many months later, in the fall of that year, Mary went over to spend time with her friends, Jose & Annabel, at Jose’s house, where Joe also happened to be living at the time. Mary and Joe ended up sitting next to each other on the couch, and what began as deep conversations among the group ended with the two joking around and sharing laughs over internet memes. Later on that evening, Mary found an ad for a “Shrek Rave” event in Pittsburgh, which appeared to be a big Shrek-themed dance party. After she begged the group, everyone agreed to purchase tickets. Over the next few weeks, the two exchanged text messages ranging from childhood memories to outlandish jokes, and were a little too eager for these exchanges to be considered 'friendly.' Joe knew Mary liked him when she started posting "Go Celtics" on her instagram stories during Celtics vs. 76ers games to see if he would respond (he did), and Mary knew Joe liked her when he sent her an 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' meme out of the blue on a random Wednesday, presumably just trying to start a conversation (he was). The weekend of the Shrek Rave, the group spent the entire weekend together, making chili, sharing stories, and shooting baskets at a local park (which ended with Jose & Annabel leaving the court while Joe & Mary flirted over a game of one-on-one for over an hour.) The foursome also attended Light-Up Night in Pittsburgh that night, stopping by a fancy cocktail bar and restaurant that would become Joe & Mary’s first date spot a few weeks later. (See below for a photo Annabel took of Joe and Mary flirting it up like they were the only two in the room. :)) At one point Joe and Jose stepped away, chatting about Joe's obvious caught feelings. The weekend ended with Mary admitting to Jose and Annabel that she really liked Joe, and they did their best to act surprised. :) The very next day, Mary went home for Thanksgiving break, and that night received a text from Joe asking her to give him a call when she could. When she called, he asked her on a surprise date that would take place after the Thanksgiving holiday. Both excitedly hung up the phone with smiles that have yet to fade :)