Laura: The First Date I was anxiously sitting in the coffee shop, on the phone with Kathy, trying to look carefree, relaxed, cool…then I saw him through the window…tall, handsome, with kind eyes. “He is sooo cute.” I told Kathy and quickly hung up. Next thing I know, we are taking a stroll on a residential street with chai lattes in our hands. We talked books, our families (including Watson), and I even learned some botany thanks to Robert’s knowledge of prickly pears. I definitely remember the butterflies but I also remember how at ease and comfortable he made me feel…I was so excited when he asked me out on a second date. --- Robert: The Second Date What can I say? This remains one of my favorite dates. We walked to a brewery and spent the afternoon getting to know each other a bit more, I met Watson, and Laura kindly let me know early on that our date had a hard stop at five. Intrigued, I inquired further. It turned out that her friend, Alex Waldman, the once and future med student, was in town for the weekend. She (and what later seemed like her entire med school class) had plans to meet up with Alex later that evening. I was welcome to tag along, if I wanted, but she also understood if I wasn't in the mood to meet 50 of her closest friends all at once on our second date. Now, at the start of the date, I knew that the polite thing to do would be to bow out around five...but as we talked, joked, and got to know each other a little more over the afternoon, I just couldn't bring myself to do the polite thing. Laura is endlessly fascinating, wickedly funny, and persistently kind. If her friends were anything like her, I suspected that we'd get along just fine. I must have said something right, because by the end of the night, I had earned my first kiss. --- Laura: Moving to Memphis Both of us were very intentional when we started dating; we both knew that there was a good chance that I would be moving following medical school for residency. I think that helped us be very honest and get to know each other deeply from the very beginning. Through all the exams, stress of interviews, and the match process, Robert was always there: steadfast, calm, encouraging. One of the first times that I remember thinking, “wow, I really love this man,” was when he was quizzing me and helping me study for one of my many exams. It may have been the magic salmon seasoning that he used for dinner, but I was all in. After we learned where I matched for residency, we moved to Memphis. Covid was raging, so meeting new people and exploring the city proved very difficult for the first several months. I’m not sure either of us would have lasted too long if we had not had the other’s steadfast support. --- Robert: The Proposal She knew it was coming, but I am a patient man. Surely, I would ask on her birthday? No? On a mountain in Colorado? Not quite. Well, how about at the famous Peabody Hotel duck march? You know, there is a point in the ceremony where the duckmaster asks whether there are any special occasions, anniversaries, or, you know, proposals. Nada. I did end up dropping to one knee at the Peabody later that night...when she least expected it. We were about to turn in for the night, and I asked in my best Lithuanian, "Ar tekesi uz manes?"