Seven years ago we were both hired at the historic Rookwood Pottery Company in Cincinnati. We started work on the same day, becoming lunch buddies and then best friends. Lauren had just graduated from college at Truman State University; James had served in the military for 10 years and was teaching as an adjunct professor in the South before moving to Cincinnati in 2013. We spent so much time together that all of our friends and acquaintances thought we were a couple before we acknowledged our feelings! Both of us were new to the city looking for the comfort of companionship and someone to cook and eat with. Our evenings outside of work were filled with light-hearted competition, from who could throw the tallest pot (Lauren), to who could make the best pot of chicken noodle soup (James). The romantic aspect of our relationship sparked over the crackling flames of a 24-hour wood firing, an old school way of firing ceramics that requires the kiln to be fed logs by hand every 15 minutes. Our shared attentiveness to the craft we both love is what brought us together, no doubt. Defying all odds (and recommendations), we moved in together after being friends for 6 months and dating for only two weeks, a year later we made an even bigger move to New England. We were hired by a handmade glass and pottery company, Simon Pearce, as a package deal! Our time in New Hampshire became the foundation for our relationship, with weekends spent hiking, gardening, and antiquing. Although New England was sublime, three years later we decided to move back to Cincinnati. Now we're back working full-time at the Rookwood Pottery Company where we first met. We bought our first home last year and made the basement into our private pottery studio; we also started a side-hustle business we named Breakfront Pottery. Seven years later we still eat almost every meal together as best friends, continually fueled by our shared love of craft and our love for one another.