Greg had a plan. There was a ring (eventually successfully purchased). There was a hike (declined). There was a hiding spot under the dresser. There was also Ash under the bed, Todd attacking a cat leash, and Sylvia absolutely incapable of pretending she hadn’t just discovered the ring. When she confessed, Greg didn’t wait for a scenic overlook. He dropped to one knee right in the middle of the chaos. It wasn’t picture-perfect. It wasn’t traditional. It was spontaneous, messy, funny, and full of love — which makes it exactly right for us.

We met while helping a friend move, when Greg was visiting from Colorado. We quickly discovered we were both special education teachers — and equally opinionated. Greg initially thought Sylvia talked too much. He also quietly thought he could see a future with her. When Greg later moved back to Connecticut, he asked Sylvia to go rock climbing. She said yes — and then bailed after a sleepless night (Ash had other plans). Greg assumed the worst and didn’t try again. But through shared friends, climbing conversations, sarcasm, and lots of talking (from both of them), something kept building. Eventually, Sylvia asked Greg to go climbing — and to meet Ash. And that was the beginning of everything.