Unlike most love stories, ours starts with an insult on the 44th floor of a Wall Street conference room in October 2019. Mark was the client, I was the consultant, and within minutes of exchanging pleasantries, I managed to completely trash his beloved hometown of Baltimore right in front of his boss. Looking back, we both agree: if I hadn’t accidentally insulted his city that first day, none of us would be here today.

As the years passed, life happened—my father passed away, my nephew was born, we both changed jobs, moved states—and through it all, the one thing that remained constant and ever-growing was our relationship.

Mark proposed on Christmas Eve 2025 in Orlando, FL, in a manner that was true to our chaotic, hilarious dynamic. After convincing me all day that he had somehow bought a house without telling me, he finally got down on one knee in a garden of lighted Disney palm trees. I started crying… Mark forgot his speech… and in the end, I said yes to: "Babes... ummmm Marry Me?" It was imperfect, hilarious, completely unscripted, and entirely us.

Thanks to Covid, what started as a friendship built around grocery store runs, drives around town, and long walks turned into a genuine realization that we wanted to do life—and all that it brings—together.