Anissa and Alex met at a gathering sophomore year at Syracuse University. Anissa walked right up to Alex, introduced herself, and then got yanked away by a friend before he could get her number. Alex spent the rest of the night kicking himself, telling his friends about the bubbly, pretty blonde he'd just let slip away. So when they crossed paths again, he was not about to fumble it twice. He marched over, reintroduced himself, and the rest is history. What Alex didn't know is that Anissa never forgot their first meeting either. She'd actually had her eye on him since freshman year, because you don't exactly miss the very tall, cute guy roaming their shared dorm. They've been together since early 2017, almost ten years now, and have built a life across Washington, DC, then Fairfield and Black Rock, CT, chasing their careers and figuring it all out together. Along the way they moved into their first shared condo and welcomed two daughters: Lacy the mini goldendoodle and Clara, a storm-cloud-grey kitten with opinions. They love their shared life with their girls more than anything. In October 2025, they got engaged (cue Anissa screaming "FINALLY" somewhere in the background). Under the cover of a casual pre-dinner stroll, Alex led Anissa through the Audubon Society nature preserve, delivering her pieces of a speech about their ten years together at each stop along the way. At the last stop, he got down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. Now Anissa and Alex can't wait to celebrate their marriage, and the community they've built, surrounded by all the people they love.