The pair met at DMACC circa 2018 in an Astronomy class. Lauren sat in the front, hoping no one would sit next to her. Mario walked in and thought "she's cute, I'll sit next to her." They started dating in 2020 after Mario told Lauren "I think I'm in love with you" while they were sitting at a stop light. Lauren responded by saying "I don't know how you want me to respond to that." They went through another college graduation together, took a few trips, spent many hours with friends and family. They moved in together November '22 and built a home in their apartment. Here, Mario learned to love cats (don't let him lie to you). Mario proposed in that same apartment in 2024, in front of the Christmas tree.