When Bahati first moved to the DMV, going out wasn’t exactly at the top of her priority list. In fact, she had only been in the area for two days when a childhood friend invited her out for Labor Day weekend, to a lounge called 12 Stories. Her first instinct was to say no. (She did say no.) But after a little convincing and a reminder that new beginnings deserve to be celebrated, she agreed to go. That night turned out to be anything but ordinary. Schapiro was out celebrating his birthday when he noticed Bahati and decided to introduce himself. They talked for a while, then went their separate ways to continue enjoying the night. Just as the evening was winding down and Bahati was about to leave, a little encouragement from Schapiro’s childhood friend gave him the push he needed to ask Bahati for her number. What followed was a few months of easy, genuine dating. No pressure, no rushing, just two people enjoying each other and slowly realizing this was something special. Then, on Valentine’s Day, Schapiro made it official and asked Bahati to be his girlfriend. They’ve been inseparable ever since. Sometimes all it takes is showing up at the right moment, and one ordinary night can turn into something extraordinary.