Michael was a running a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with his friends. His boss at the time was Captain Laub, who said she had a sister who also loved DnD. Michael invited Emily to join the game and after playing for a while, they started hanging out. Karaoke and going to the movies together quickly became a favorite pastime and bonding experience. They began to realize how many passions they shared: both vegetarian, both lovers of cinema, both lovers of art. Embarrassingly, Michael fell in love with Emily before they started dating. When they did start dating, it wouldn't be long before Michael deployed. He realized while he was gone that Emily was someone truly special and he couldn't bear to be away from her, so he began saving money for a ring. Upon returning to the States, Emily and Michael went on atrip to Wales, and it was on a beachside mountain hiking trail that Michael proposed.