Early on in 2020, before Jessup sent their students home due to some respiratory virus, Nick had gotten a hair cut. A nice one. Nice enough for it to make Sera pretty happy that he decided to follow her on Instagram. Now, if you remember, there were lots of things going on at this time. Schools were shutting down, people were being sent home to work remote, parks and baseball fields were closed off with caution tape, toilet paper vanished from shelves. But, Nick and Sera strove to make the best of their time at home while they wrapped up their sophomore year of college, single as could be. They did this by making Instagram stories for all their fans. They were both intrigued by each other's content and reassured themselves that this was a good follow. You know how it goes; they started replying to each others' posts, DMing about Venus (Nick was in an astronomy class and very proud of all that he learned), French toast, face masks made out of bacon, and apologizing for how lengthy their messages were to each other. They talked about anything and everything...except the worries and woes that seemed to be overtaking every other part of their lives. They noticed how their conversations were untouched by the chaos around them. A very important part of this story involves Sera painting Nick's old, white, high-top vans. She painted them blue and pink with flowers. He went to her house to pick them up on May 1, 2020. It was strictly business, of course. After talking with Sera in her kitchen for almost an hour, with her mom working remotely in the other room pretending not to eavesdrop, it was time for Nick to leave. A solemn look came across his face (no mustache at the time) and he said, "Well, I guess I'll see you in the fall..." He turned around, got in his car, and drove back to Arlington Circle. Sera still doesn't know why he said this. And she surely didn't understand at the time. She texted him before he got home and told him "We don't have to wait until school starts to see each other again!" She wasn't ready for these pleasant conversations to stop. They continued to lighten one another's load as they went on their first date at the Davis Arboretum and ate burritos. The Davis Arburrito, if you will. Sera smiled all the way home and Nick was probably singing along to some punk rock band. They continue to lighten one another's load today and are excited to serve one another, love one another, and laugh with one another for life. A happy ending to a Quarantine Crush.