Emily and Theodore met in the Stochastic Random Processes class during their first PhD year at Rice University. He immediately noticed her, the girl who seemed to know everyone in class and would somehow brighten up the room every time she walked in. A few weeks into the semester, Theodore quietly changed his seat to one next to hers. It wasn’t subtle, but it worked. Soon after, he started a conversation about an upcoming conference — but it didn’t go far. Theodore later learned that Emily and her friends had been quietly joking about people who asked too many questions in class… like him. Their next exchange happened when Emily offered Theodore a peppermint Altoid. He took it and, thinking quickly, added, “Is peppermint your favorite flavor? I am actually a big fan of cinnamon Altoids”. Unfortunately, Emily hates them.  Thankfully, probability was on his side. The rest of the conversation was brief and charmingly awkward. “Where are you from?” “Charlotte, North Carolina. What about you?” “I’m actually from Moscow.” “Moscow… Russia?” “Yes — Moscow, Russia.” “Oh.” Then came the line that makes Theodore laugh (a bit nervously) to this day: Emily complimented his sailboat shirt and asked, “Do you sail?” “No,” he said — missing the perfect chance to mention he was on the Rice Rowing team, and with it, the opportunity to keep the conversation going. Later that week, they ran into each other at a cafeteria during lunch and then again — at the gym. Theodore had just finished his run and spotted Emily on the Peloton bike with her (and now their) friend Nick. After a long and charming conversation, he walked away with her number, and a feeling that she was something special. For their first date, Theodore invited Emily to the Museum of Fine Arts. Their first date stretched into nine hours, continuing with a March Madness NC State game at a bar and ending over Persian food. The Rice University campus soon became a map of personal memories for both of them — the first hug in front of the library, the first kiss on the Music School lawn, the late-night walk when they first realized they were right for each other, the shaded bench where they had conversations that shaped their relationship. Theodore proposed to Emily in May 2025, while on a trip to Georgia (the country, not the state!) with his parents. During a picturesque hike in the mountains of Svaneti, he casually led Emily to a large rock overlooking the valley — to “take a picture”. Once they both climbed to the top, he knelt down on his knee and asked Emily to marry him. She said, “Yes!” The ring Theodore gave to Emily in Georgia was a travel ring. One month later, when Emily returned from a trip across Europe, he designed a scavenger hunt across the places in Houston that had defined their relationship. At the final stop, at a bench in Hermann Park, Theodore put the real ring on Emily’s hand. Together, Emily and Theodore love traveling, exploring the Houston food scene, and playing board games. Theodore loves to tire Emily with his math stories and riddles, while Emily is a big jigsaw puzzle fan. They are more than excited to spend the rest of their lives together and continue to learn about each other's cultures. Written by Theodore, edited by Emily :)