In May of 2021, prior to starting grad school at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, a few students started a group chat to break the ice. Owen, wanting answers to all the questions, noticed that Tessa seemed to have all the answers. After some short back and forth, Tessa ghosted Owen for months. Owen was disappointed but then surprised when she followed up in July, and they picked right back up. As school got closer and the two started chatting again, they decided it'd be fun to get together, as Owen had just moved to Seattle and knew no one besides his Uncle Matt. They agreed to meet up at the Seattle Aquarium (Owen's idea because aquariums are cool). Owen was looking around at the pier when he saw Tessa walking up from half a mile away. In his best attempt at looking chill, he looked back out over the water with a thousand-yard stare. Tessa walked up and thought he was cute, but this was, of course, a friend hangout, not a date. They walked around, saw a one-eyed fish named Joe, and then went to Chipotle after Tessa invited Owen to get together again. They clicked quickly and hung out a few more times before school started, including going to a Mariners baseball game. School was a kick in the butt and Owen and Tessa, both being stubborn, did not realize the feelings they had for one another. It became natural as they had the same friend group and were often all spending time together. Their friends, however, thought they were enemies because of their frequent butting heads and passionate debates. Halloween of 2021 was the key moment in their timeline as they were both unsure if the other liked them. It turns out, they did in fact like each other. They made it official in early December 2021 and confessed their love on New Year's Eve that year (Tessa let it slip - oops). Grad school was tough but Tessa and Owen blossomed, supporting one another, which naturally grew their relationship. They moved in together after their first year of school and have since lived in Seattle, Olympia, and Issaquah. After four years of dating, Owen proposed on the dock of Tessa's grandparents' house on August 31, 2025, in front of their parents and a few close family members. Thankfully, she said yes. Now we're here and you've read all this.