Just kidding! Anthony and Jackie met at work. His office is two doors down from hers, and pretty much as soon as Jackie started, Anthony, Jackie, and Dustin (the other Chemistry professor) were fast friends. Anthony and Dustin had already been working there for many years before, so they were a huge help to Jackie in learning the ins and outs of SUNY Orange. Jackie and Anthony would text sometimes about everyday things. Anthony actually hated texting at all but was too nice to say anything. After settling in for a semester, Jackie realized how nice (and cute!) Anthony was. She sat on her feelings for a while, expecting them to go away. Spoiler alert: they didn't. So she did what any reasonable person would do - she popped her head into his office 5 minutes before he he had a class and asked him out on a date. He was so surprised and flabbergasted that he said no, she said she understood, and that was that. He did come into her office later and apologized but said he really needed to concentrate on his work (he was in the middle of applying for a full-time position and had much preparation to do for that). Jackie said she understood, and reassured him that he wasn't a jerk. She was sad, but it was what it was. Over the next month, they talked more and more, but because they along with Dustin were friends, it wasn't that noticeable. Then one day they were talking in the hallway and as they were joking around, they both started laughing at some (probably nerdy) joke, and he touched her hand. He realized at that point that he liked her. It was spring break at that point, and Jackie had been noticing that Anthony was flirting with her more, and felt like it was mixed signals. She wasn't sure what to do. So she asked Anthony if they could talk about what was going on between them. He said yes, because he knew that something had to be decided. They talked that night (it was a Friday), and they weren't sure where it would go, but they decided that they needed to see where these feelings would go. So they decided to go on a date to Garvan's that Sunday, which is one of Jackie's favorite restaurants. Anthony was nervous, but not nearly as nervous as Jackie. They were both excited, but they just sat and talked over dinner without being able to eat anything because of nerves. So they decided to go for a hike instead, since trying to eat wasn't working. They got to their cars in the parking lot, and Anthony kissed Jackie for the first time. And it was amazing. They had a wonderful hike, which involved taking their shoes and socks off to wade through ice cold water due to some flooding. They ended up talking about numerous topics, and in general had a wonderful time. Since it was spring break, they had the week without classes and ended up hanging out for most of the week. Since then, they've spent their relationship talking, problem solving, supporting each other, and strengthening their relationship. They decided about 3 months in that they wanted to get married, but eeded th some hurdles fi. They needed to get comfortable with each other's families, and make sure that Jackie's two children, Angela and Laramie, were comfortable with Anthony. Angela loved Anthony from the start, and once Laramie saw how much Anthony cared about his well-being, he soon grew comfortable with Anthony as well. Anthony and Jackie share a bond that is built on love, trust, and sacrifice that has grown stronger every day. They are excited to take this big step together, and are excited to see what their future holds.