It began in November 2019 at an Orthodoxy on Tap event in Ravenswood. Telly saw Zoe there and immediately thought she was the cutest girl in the room. He wanted to talk to her, but she was busy chatting with other people. Growing impatient, he left early, never getting the chance to introduce himself. Zoe, meanwhile, noticed a cute boy she had never seen before and made a mental note to find him later. But before she got the chance, he left. Life moved on, and she forgot all about it… Fast forward four months to March 2020. The world was shutting down, and two weeks to “slow the spread” and national social distancing had begun. Zoe, newly unemployed, found herself scrolling on Hinge—and there he was! She didn’t recognize him from the event, but one thing stood out: his name. She had a pet cockatiel named Telly growing up, and that was all she needed to know. She swiped right with a cheesy pickup line. Telly, on the other hand, instantly recognized her – fate gave him another chance! They matched, started texting, and soon had their first FaceTime call before meeting up for a socially distanced walk through the Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. Four socially distanced dates later, after a picnic in the park, Telly confessed that he had seen her before and they shared their first kiss. The simple, peaceful moments brought them closer and they fell in love through the mundane of the pandemic: picnics in Lincoln Park playing with strangers’ new COVID pups, bike rides along the lakefront, late-night card games, puzzles, and Jenga, and Thai takeout from their favorite spot, Noodles in the Pot.

So, when it came time to propose 4 years later, Telly knew exactly what to do. On May 17, he recreated one of their OG pandemic dates. He took the afternoon off, scooped Zoe up and headed to Lincoln Park. They enjoyed lunch outside over a game of cards, then they biked up the lakefront path like they had so many times before. They eventually stopped at Montrose Beach, taking in the views and savoring the quiet joy of being together. And there, in the familiar setting where their love story first unfolded years before, Telly got down on one knee.