It’s about damn time!It’s about damn time!

A textbook 21st century love story: Brittany- newly single, newly laid off due to a global pandemic, and newly vowing never to date another man again, downloaded Tinder in a desperate attempt to find something to do other than scroll though TikTok and reminisce about a time when everyone could go outside. After a few weeks with no success, she decided to roll the dice and change her "Interested in" over to both Men and Women, albeit reluctantly so. Little did she know, however, the first man she talked to would become her forever. Sean had a request in his bio for a date for his brother's wedding at which he would be the best man (in two years' time, due to COVID delays), and if that and his handsome pictures had not been enough to pull her in, he had one more trick up his sleeve- his sister had recently gotten the most adorable kitten, and he had a phone filled with pictures of the tiny baby that he immediately sent over, sealing the deal on the spot with the number one key to her heart. Sean worked second shift at the time, and since Brittany was still unemployed due to COVID, we spent the summer once school was out falling in love- between the hours of 12am and 3pm exclusively. It was an unconventional start to what would become one of the best love stories. Time was spent getting to know each other, learning how to drink responsibly (and irresponsibly) as we both turned 21 in those first few months, and binge-watching all of each other's favorite shows and movies (the most honorable mention of which is the Hamilton pro-shot, which quickly became Sean's new obsession and they still listen to the soundtrack in the car to this day).

A lot can happen in five years' time! Here are just a few of the best adventures: -A cruise to Bermuda with our best friends that included jet skiing (featuring a sprained ankle and a pair of glasses still floating around somewhere in the ocean), snorkeling, cliff jumping, making friends with our lovely bartender who snuck us far too many green tea shots, and ending every night floating in the hot tub looking at the stars -A long weekend in Mexico for a wedding, ATVing, swimming in a cenote in the Mexican jungle, late night churros, and a lot of amazing memories -Multiple trips to Boston Comic Con, where we have met David Tennant (Doctor Who), Ewan MacGregor (Star Wars), and (all at once) Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings). One of the best parts of our relationship has been bonding over being total nerds when it comes to anything science fiction, fantasy or superheroey, so we probably have yet to see our last convention together -And so, so many more!

Sean bought the most beautiful ring at the end of 2024, but needed to really think about how to best catch Brittany off guard and still make it the most perfect proposal. He managed to nail both of those things-on a friends’ trip to the Fitzgerald family house in Scarborough, Maine. We headed up on a Friday, and intentions were to wait until everyone arrived on Saturday to pop the question. However, the weather had other ideas, and so the group (Sean’s sister, her fiancé, and our lovely friends) all in on the plan, had to find a way to get down to the beach without making Brittany suspicious (little did they know, Brittany could not possibly have had any less of a clue). With plans to go to lunch in town-but first, a walk along the beach- we all got ready. It couldn’t have been more perfect. A chilly day on the beach, surrounded by some of our favorite people. It also couldn’t have been more of a surprise- Brittany had designed her dream ring a few times over the years, sending it over but having no idea when, where or how it would end up on her finger. But the only thing that wasn’t uncertain was who- that was the easiest part. The ruse of getting some couples’ pictures and secretly taking a video worked like a charm, and more than a few expletives in shock later- the deal was sealed with a resounding “Yeah, duh!” We continued our group walk with more than a few laughs and tears, and came upon a man with a camera flagging us down. “I got the whole thing! Let me send it all to you!” This random stranger that happened to be there captured the most beautiful pictures of our entire engagement from afar. He told us that he just had a feeling when we walked out, that he could tell we were just “so in love.” It’s unclear whether he realized that Brittany had spent the beginning of the walk tugging on Sean’s hand while looking for cool rocks and shells and not thinking at all about how romantic a walk on the beach could be, but it was a very sweet sentiment nonetheless. The rest of the weekend was filled with fun and love from our friends, as we celebrated the occasion and the house was fully decorated with streamers and engagement themed balloons. It was absolutely perfect, and we’ll always think back on it and remember how full our hearts were of not only our love for each other, but for the lovely people we have around us.