Save the date

Misha: I think most love origin stories are kind of boring. The real magic comes from how couples endlessly relive and recall the details: the now-defunct gay club called The Q, Halloween weekend, my sexy sailor outfit meeting the last-minute Spiderman costume picked out for Mario by my soon-to-be sister-in-law, and Eldar finding me on the second floor of the overcrowded club and insisting I go back to the equally crowded third floor…where, in that moment… Mario: We met on the third floor of The Q. It was love at first sight. As we started dancing, he asked me my name, if I liked cycling, and eventually entered his name and number directly into my phone before texting himself.

Misha: For once, I granted myself no confidantes. Until the moment I dropped to my knee, it was just me—and the ring tucked in the bottom of my tiny backpack, strapped to my shoulders as I leaned forward against the breeze of my racing bike. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Central Park, with thick, fluffy clouds scattered across the brightest blue April sky. I took the lead up and down Harlem Hill, with just enough time to toss the bike, grab two random photographers, and fall to my knee as if my life depended on it. It did. It has. He said, “Yes!” Mario: In the middle of our bike ride in Central Park, I couldn’t understand why he suddenly sped ahead of me on the path. When I caught up, I was almost upset—until that moment turned into happiness. It felt like a dream come true, as if the past and future had come together in that instant!