Jack and Ally's love story started off the way most modern love stories do, online. Tuesday, May 31st, Ally was up late watching TV and scrolling through her phone. While on Hinge, she stopped on a profile that caught her eye. Jack's profile mentioned he was a history teacher who loved "The Office" and painting miniatures. She had never really watched "The Office" and had no idea what he meant by "painting minis," but she knew then and there she wanted to find out. She sent him a like on his profile photo and turned in for the night. The following morning, Jack woke up and saw a notification that someone had liked his photo on Hinge. He decided to start a conversation around her love of the show "Friends," which he had picked up on her profile, and how he had never really watched it. This immediately shocked Ally as she had seen every episode at least half a dozen times. She responded sharing her deep love of the show and asking him what kind of miniatures he liked to paint (she is still convinced that is what truly hooked him)! After a few days of messaging back and forth, Jack and Ally exchanged cell phone numbers. Jack then asked Ally if she had any interest in going on a date. Ally was overjoyed at this invitation and agreed. They made a plan to meet up on June 9th, 2022. Jack was the first to arrive at the beach. He pulled into the lot and waited for Ally to arrive. A little while later, she was parking next to his Jeep and they both hopped out of their cars. Jack passed her a pizza and blanket as he unloaded his YETI cooler from the back of his car. They walked along the beach until they found the perfect spot and spent hours talking and enjoying one another's conversation. They even shared their first kiss that night! A week later, Jack and Ally had a double feature movie night. Towards the end of the second movie, Jack asked Ally if she wanted to be his girlfriend. She happily agreed and together they deleted their dating apps forever.

A few months before their one-year anniversary, Ally asked Jack what he would like to do on the day. He suggested that they go to the beach in West Haven with a Zuppardi's pizza and his YETI to recreate their incredibly special first date. Ally thought this was an excellent idea and their plan was set. As Ally was signing off of work on the day of their anniversary, they heard a few loud cracks of thunder in the distance, but the sky was looking as though it might be clearing. They decided to head off to the beach and stick to their original plan. Once they had picked up the pizza, they made their way to their special spot and setup a little picnic in the sand. After a few slices, they decided it was time to exchange gifts. This quickly turned into a bad idea as Ally's gift was made entirely of paper and they had to think of creative ways to shield it from the ever-increasing rain drops. Finally, after Jack managed to look at all of the notes and photos Ally had included, they moved on to his gift to her. He pulled out a scrapbook with memories going all the way back to their first few dates that he had saved. It was the most special gift Ally had ever received. Following their gift exchange, Jack asked Ally if she would stand by the water so he could take her picture. She moved over to the water's edge and posed for the photo while the rain continued to fall down on them. After a moment, Ally suggested that maybe they pack up their things and head back to the car. It was at that point that Jack agreed, but only after he finished one last thing. From there, he got down on one knee and popped the question! Ally was shocked and delighted by Jack's proposal. She instantly said yes and they embraced. Finally, as they parted, they noticed that the rain began to lessen. After a few more minutes, the sun began to peek out through the clouds and a rainbow could be seen off in the distance. They both smiled and spent the remainder of their time on the beach holding one another and looking out at the horizon. June 9th will always be a special day for Jack and Ally as they celebrate not one, but two anniversaries on that date. It marks the start of their beautiful journey together and the day they decided that their love for one another would last forever.