01

The Beginning

Our story began on December 15, 2018, in the Duquesne University library, where we were both studying for an accounting final. Somewhere between the textbooks, notes, and wine, we were introduced to each other. Afterward, I turned to my friend Ellen and said,

At the time, it felt like nothing more than a passing comment. We went back to studying, life moved on, and neither of us realized that the beginning of our story had already quietly taken place.

About a year later, we matched on a dating app. Once again, the timing was not quite right, and nothing came of it. Looking back, it feels as though life kept placing us in each other’s path, waiting for the moment when we were finally ready to notice.

That moment came in the summer of 2020, when we unexpectedly became neighbors. A few weeks later, while I was away at my family’s camp, I woke up to a message from Ellen saying something along the lines of, “Brad Nelson is going to ask you out!”

The night before, after a party at his house, Brad had followed my roommates outside as they walked home across the street to ask if I might be interested. Not long after, he messaged me on Snapchat and asked for my number. I eagerly sent it, and on July 26, my phone buzzed with a text that was simple, unmistakably Brad, and impossible to forget:

03

The First Date

Three days later, we went on our first date. We played mini golf and had dinner at Hofbräuhaus, where Brad ordered tequila shots because he knew they were my favorite. An older couple seated nearby quickly realized we were on a first date and became our unexpected cheerleaders for the evening.

What I remember most, though, is how easy it all felt. The conversation flowed, the laughter came naturally, and neither of us seemed in any hurry for the night to end. After so many almost-moments, we were finally sitting across from one another at exactly the right time.

From there, being together quickly became part of our everyday lives. Living across the street meant there was always a reason to stop by, spend a little more time together, or let a simple evening turn into hours of talking and laughing. We were still learning one another, but there was already a familiarity between us that felt rare. It was exciting without feeling complicated and comfortable without ever feeling ordinary.

A few days after our first date, Brad and his roommates managed to secure an invitation to my family’s softball game through my roommates. My family knew I had recently gone on a date, but they did not yet know it had been with Brad. They did, however, immediately notice his incredible eyes and comment on how handsome he was. Before long, he was no longer simply the guy from across the street. He was becoming part of my life and, just as naturally, part of the people and places that mattered most to me.

By September 25, 2020, we officially became a couple, although by then it already felt as though we had found our rhythm. The following month, Brad brought me home to meet his family and help surprise his mom for her birthday. It was one of the first moments our separate worlds began to come together, and from the beginning, his family made me feel welcomed and loved.

As the months passed, our relationship grew not only through the memorable moments, but through the quieter ones that filled the space between them. We learned one another’s routines, supported each other through change, and discovered how much we loved simply doing life together. Moving in together in May 2021 felt less like a dramatic leap and more like the natural next step in a life we were already beginning to build.

One month later, we adopted Henri, our first little addition to the family. Our home became fuller, busier, and more ours. We began creating traditions, sharing responsibilities, and finding joy in the kind of everyday moments that rarely make it into a timeline but ultimately become the heart of a relationship.

Philadelphia

In May 2022, we took our biggest leap yet and moved from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Leaving behind what was familiar was both exciting and a little intimidating, but doing it together made it feel possible. Philadelphia gave us the chance to build a life that belonged entirely to us, one shaped by new routines, new neighborhoods, and the confidence that wherever we were together could become home.

Our family continued to grow there. We rescued Hallie from the streets of South Philadelphia and later welcomed Ralph. Before long, the life we had built was filled with kitties, laughter, chaos, and more love than we could have imagined when we first met in that library.

Through every move and every new beginning, we became a stronger team. We learned how to support one another, how to make difficult decisions together, and how to find joy even in the most ordinary days. The adventures mattered, but so did the evenings at home, the small acts of care, and the comfort of knowing we were creating something lasting.

Then, on January 25, 2025, Brad proposed outside the historic Merchant Exchange Building in Philadelphia, fittingly located right beside the Nelson Building. It was romantic, meaningful, and somehow perfectly suited to a story that had always been shaped by little coincidences and beautifully timed moments.

Looking back, our story does not feel like one grand, cinematic beginning. It feels like a collection of moments that kept drawing us closer.

From “Yo it’s brad” to building a home and family together, our relationship has grown through laughter, adventure, change, and the quiet certainty that we had found something worth choosing again and again.

Now, we cannot wait to begin our next chapter as husband and wife, surrounded by the family and friends who have loved us, supported us, and been part of our story all along.