While engaged in one of the many high-minded, philosophical, and engrossing conversations Dustin would partake in at his favorite Italian restaurant, his attention couldn’t help but be quickly captured by the black-clad, stunning silhouette who had just graced his periphery. It helped that Dustin’s friend and uncle, in their trademark inconspicuous manners, audibly and noticeably directed his attention her way. Dustin believes he muttered something like, “well, that’s a tall drink of water” before returning to said intellectually challenging conversation, where the afternoon’s topic was the most efficient and economical way to do an interstate, bachelor party-style road trip. Despite the encyclopedic knowledge of such topics present for this conversation, the name of the particular vehicle to be used for this road trip eluded us. Thankfully, Kendra did not. “A Sprinter”, she interjected. Dustin’s attention was now rightfully focused on Kendra. “You’re talking about a Mercedes Sprinter”. Kendra would go on to share in detail what she thought we would want for such an excursion while Dustin wondered to himself who this enchanting and engaging woman was who would even entertain helping bring to life the debauchery we knew would remain hypothetical. At this point, Dustin had been divorced for about a year and had spent the past few months enjoying being unattached. Kendra had been unattached for a few years and suffered through more than a few suboptimal dates. While this initial interaction was interesting, as those truly delightful and unexpected encounters can be, Kendra had her lunch and departed without Dustin contributing much more of anything other than what had to be a curiously stimulated look plastered on his face. Kendra would return to the same restaurant about a week later. Thankfully, Dustin was there, too. He had been treating the restaurant as a second home, indulging in the free food, caffeine, and enjoyable company made available to him during his time preparing for the LSAT. This afternoon’s conversation topics mercifully revolved more around current events and public policy. Like the previous week, Kendra participation was quick yet felt totally organic. Dustin’s curiosity would not be satiated unless he learned more about this charming and confident woman. So, that day, Dustin asked Kendra if he could join her for lunch and rather quickly, Dustin became smitten. Before Kendra left, Dustin asked her if she wanted to continue their conversation over a drink, a meal, or something like that. Kendra obliged.

After Dustin knocked off some dating rust, Kendra and Dustin’s relationship flourished. Nothing ever felt forced or contrived. As Dustin said, we were never in a hurry to make us be anything other than . . . us. This gave them ample space to grow, trust, hurt, and love together. As it does, life would throw challenges their way. Kendra and Dustin survived Dustin moving across country, law school, a pandemic, managing demanding jobs while saying goodbye to Kendra’s father, moving 3 times in 3 years, and the loss of other beloved family members. Being a partner to someone in law school and taking the bar is no small thing. Kendra’s support of Dustin was, and remains, unwavering. Just so our readers are clear, when Kendra agreed to a date with Dustin, in late 2016, he was coming off a divorce, barely working, living with his brother and sister-in-law, and driving a 20 th century car his grandma sold to him for $1,000. Instead of taking work in a field that he knew and one that would pay him reasonably well, Dustin was studying for a pre-entrance exam to chase the dream he had of going to law school and entering public service. Not once did Kendra express a hint of doubt or disbelief in Dustin’s ambitions, even though those very feelings would occasionally haunt him over the years. The many experiences Kendra and Dustin have shared, good, bad, or otherwise, illuminated them as individuals and shaped who they would become together Dustin would learn that Kendra’s astonishing and breathtaking beauty is dwarfed only by her depth of character, curiosity of mind, boundless generosity, irresistible charm, unyielding compassion, and unwavering love. Dustin feels blessed every day to be a beneficiary of Kendra’s willingness to share her life with him. Kendra would learn that Dustin has an insatiably curious intellect, a heart and commitment to help others the size of himself, and that his deep feelings for her can take the form of profound, written expressions of love, a random, thoughtful gift, crafting the perfect meal, occasional sarcastic jokes, and everything in between. It is difficult for Dustin to identify a specific point at which he officially fell in love with Kendra. He finds this difficult because since shortly after meeting Kendra he has experienced a sort of halo of happiness and contentment that he never thought possible and long since believed ephemeral. As he shares more of his life with Kendra, however, his own feelings have taken on more depth and their bond has grown more resilient and stronger. Kendra shares these feelings. Dustin made the decision to ask Kendra to marry him in early 2024. He wanted the proposal to be special but personal, something that would bring joy to them both when thinking back on that fateful moment. Dustin decided to propose during their trip to New York in June 2024, a trip that was supposed to happen for Kendra’s 40th birthday but got postponed due to the pandemic. Following a delicious meal at Fraunces Tavern, Dustin guided Kendra into a reserved drinking room of the Tavern. Known as the place George Washington said goodbye to the Continental Army following victory in the Revolutionary War, Dustin somewhat clumsily asked Kendra to marry him. After a moment of stunned uncertainty over whether he was really asking, Kendra said yes to Dustin’s proposal. Kendra and Dustin are incredibly excited to continue building a life together. They cannot wait to share their special day – October 11, 2025 – with all of you at Chaminade Resort and Spa in Santa Cruz, CA. *Any complaints about the writing should be directed to Dustin who insisted his version of this would far outclass anything composed by modern AI programs.