Back in 2017, I met Nicole—Jonathan’s niece—when she joined my team as an intern. We instantly clicked, and before long, she was dropping hints that I had to meet her Uncle Jonathan. The catch? He lived in Seattle, I was in Houston, and it felt like a long-distance fantasy. Still, Nicole stayed persistent, calling me “Auntie Juli” at work and planting the seed at every family gathering, which included Jonathan. In 2020, after she got engaged, she finally texted:
“I told Jonathan I'm giving you his number. Ball’s in your court.” It took me FIVE months to send that awkward first text message. On June 10, 2021, we finally met—in person, at her wedding. Nicole had officially “Parent Trapped” us. And it worked. By the reception, the whispers had started. “You and Jonathan, is this really happening?” one of his nieces asked. Me, laughing, responded…’yeah, I think it is.” I extended my trip for a solo tour of all things Grey’s Anatomy, Sleepless in Seattle, and ’90s grunge nostalgia. Jonathan offered to be my guide. And that was it—we never really looked back. His family got to witness our story unfold in real time, which made it even sweeter. By the end of the weekend, we both knew something special had started. A year later, I moved to Seattle. On December 23, 2023, he proposed. I said yes. And on June 13, 2025—four years (and three days) after our first real-life “hello”—we get to say I do. Moral of the story? Life is short. Timing is everything. And sometimes, your friends really do know you best. Annndd...this was our very first photo together!