JR: ACT 1 On a Saturday night in August 2016, I was visiting one of my best friend's from college, Jenna, in NYC. She invited Samantha over before going to a party nearby and before I had the time to realize it, fate was knocking on an apartment door in the Upper West Side. It wasn't Jenna's intention to play matchmaker but ever since the night we first met, she was our biggest fan, frequently reminding us of that fateful night. ACT 2: Two years later, fate came knocking again after Samantha went looking for poetry recommendations. Who would have thought responding "Oh, but there are so many..." would have led to so many memories and the single greatest partnership either of us had ever been a part of.

JR: I had never met a person like Samantha before. I'd never forget her from the way she could talk about anything and had no problem "getting deep" or injecting some wittiness and humor. She was so cultured and genuine and our conversation flowed from topic to topic like an ocean's current. When we reconnected and started discussing poetry two years later, I had the epiphany that I needed Samantha in my life. ST: I thought he was gregarious, goofy and kind when I first met him. It was rare for me to find someone who equally wanted to bounce around all kinds of conversations centered around art, music, literature, current events, even theater! He spoke with such passion and had *quite* a lot to say. His energy was unlike anyone I had ever met, yet I still felt so much peace and calmness when being around him. Left such a lasting impression on me and I'll never forget the flutters I got when he first slid into my DMs 2 years later.

JR: Two years after we first met, I was working and living in the South of France in the summer of 2018 and I saw an Instagram story from Samantha that said "Does anyone have any good poem/poet recommendations?" and it piqued my interest. I replied "Oh, but there are so many..." and what followed was my normal outburst of word vomit and one of my favorite conversations I've ever had because 6 years later it is still going on. ST: When I had made an Insta story asking for poetry recommendations, he was the first person to reply and almost instantaneously, I felt a powerful pull to continue the conversation; despite the fact this guy was living across the pond. What started off as innocent Instagram and Snapchat exchanges, soon turned into sending each other letters, friendly FaceTimes and undeniable chemistry. Six months later, we went on our first date and have been together ever since.

ST: I had a hunch! On the days leading up to our Australia trip, there were signs he may be popping the question and I was doing my absolute best to play it cool [I most definitely was not playing it cool]. One week in and still no proposal and at this point, I'm second guessing everything. It was a rainy day and Jack was adamant we rent bikes and ride them up to the Byron Bay lighthouse. By the time we get to the lighthouse, we're soaking wet and I'm huffing and puffing about not being able to use my Fuji camera in the pouring rain. Jack suggested we head to a lookout and set up his phone to "take a picture." I was wondering why he’d want a photo with such a foggy backdrop—then suddenly, he ran over, got down on one knee, and proposed! I was so surprised I didn’t even see it coming. Luckily, a couple nearby recorded the moment and ran up to us afterwards; they’d gotten engaged at the same spot, in the rain, two years earlier. We spent the rest of the day beaming, celebrating and drinking bubbles + snacking on fries.