Yes, you read that right. Lilianna was bored on Labor Day weekend at home at the start of her senior year at Fort Schuyler. She made an account on the popular dating app just for fun. She wasn't looking for anything other than a way to pass some time. Brendan did the same. He was in his junior year at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, standing a bridge watch on the T/V Kings Pointer. He saw Lili's profile and swiped right. She did the same, and the rest is history. Brendan and Lili met in person for the first time at the SUNY Maritime/USMMA rivalry football game. Brendan looked spectacular in his dress whites and Ray Ban aviators. Lili had just watched Rambo: Last Blood and gave him a synopsis of the entire movie. It was in that moment he knew he had met the love of his life, and immediately gave up his dreams of priesthood.

Lili and her family had been anticipating their vacation to Atlantic Beach, North Carolina for months, and were so excited for Brendan to join. The rental house was secured, Brendan's flight was booked, and there was so much excitement to be had. As they were excitedly making final preparations for the trip, Lili's mom received a call from the property manager saying that the unit was infested with bed bugs and the vacation was off. Last minute arrangements were made to go to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Brendan had to scramble to cancel one flight and rebook another with only 48 hours to do so. Brendan landed at the Newark Airport at 8:00 pm on Sunday, July 18, 2021. Lili and her sister, Juliet, drove there to pick him up. Lili anticipated a quick grab and go-style pickup, but Brendan was delayed on the tarmac, and Juliet really needed to use the restroom (or so she said). Lili parked and both went into the airport and headed to the baggage claim. As Lili was going to greet Brendan at the baggage carousel, he got down on one knee and proposed in the middle of a crowded airport. She was so surprised at first that she didn't immediately answer. Brendan jokingly asked her "yes or no?" to which she replied a resounding "yes!!" and they were met with clapping and cheering.

The majority of Lili and Brendan's relationship has been defined by long distance. Shortly after they met, Brendan set sail on the M/V Alliance Fairfax for his second Sea Year while Lili took Coast Guard license exams and finished college. Restrictions brought on by COVID added more challenges to their budding long distance relationship as Brendan was restricted to campus once he returned for his senior year at USMMA. After Brendan's graduation and the engagement, Brendan started working in the Port of Savannah and Lili began working in the Gulf of Mexico offshore oil industry out of Louisiana. After six months of working shoreside in the port, Brendan decided it was time to use his license and sail offshore. He got a job working at Lili's company, and they even ended up working together on the same boat once! As they make final preparations for their wedding, Lili is also preparing to move from her home in New Jersey to Huntsville, Alabama, where she and Brendan will spend the next few happy years together.