November 2015. It was a cool, Fall evening in Madison, Wisconsin. Das Essen Haus, a German themed bar, was lively. The polka band was blaring and the glass boots made their rounds on the table. Macy and Michael, meanwhile, were breaking the ice. It was a set up: a mutual friend insisted on introducing the two of them. Macy was reluctant to go. Michael was nervous. But hours later, there they were, still deep in conversation, connecting over their mirrored, strange, eclectic sense of humor. It was “Liebe auf den ersten Blick” (that’s “love at first sight,” for those of you that don’t sprechen sie Deutsch). Macy was a grad student at UW Madison, Michael was a working professional. Two dates went by, and Macy made a bold, romantic overture: dumping Michael. In all seriousness, it was a bad time. Macy was in a stressful masters program, and was working hard to get into dental school. “Let’s stay friends,” as they say. Fast forward a year, they indeed remained friends. And maybe wanted a bit more. A text sent here, a dumb meme DM’ed there. Every few months, Michael popped in to say hello. It took a full year before Macy opened her eyes. February 2017. The second, first date was set. Macy asked Michael if he’d like to grab a drink at Genna’s Lounge to catch up. That very day, Macy woke up to an interview invitation to a dental school in Chicago. Was it fate? From that evening forward, they were inseparable. Macy went on to dental school, Michael moved to Chicagoland to be with her 1 year later. Michael loved Macy’s fur son Benny as his own, and together they adopted a puppy that they only felt fitting to name ‘Genna.’ They moved to Oregon – Hood River and now Bend – where they started to set down roots, bought a house, and further established their lives together. Together they expanded each other’s horizons, furthered shared passions, made each other a bit more complete. Partners, best friends…they have many names together. Now, in 2026, they will take on their next title and chapter in the relationship: Husband and Wife.