Chris and Sophie met in Ann Arbor in July of 2020. Their first date began in the Ann Arbor Arboretum, sitting six feet apart on opposite ends of a blanket, and ended with ice cream. Chris quickly won Sophie over with his thoughtfulness—including a surprise kayak picnic for their third date, followed by a gift of homemade granola for an upcoming road trip. (Sophie's friends fondly referred to Chris as "granola guy" for quite some time.) Chris was drawn to Sophie’s easygoing presence, unrelenting kindness, and boundless enthusiasm. Her very cute cats, Theo and Winnie, also laid on the charm.

Because they met in 2020, the early days of their relationship revolved mostly around movies on the couch, home-cooking schemes or takeout meals, and improvised outdoor adventures. The world around them was uncertain. But in those evenings at home, Sophie and Chris discovered how much warmth, comfort, and joy they could create from scratch together. In Sophie, Chris gained an enthusiastic participant in whatever project he dreamed up on a given day, no matter how half-baked—whether it was brainstorming cocktail recipes or shoveling off frozen ponds for skating. In Chris, Sophie found unwavering support through long hospital rotations and a never-ending creative influence who inspired her to dive into new endeavors like printmaking, handball, and, yes, pond hockey (shoveling only sometimes required).

In early 2022, Sophie, Theo, and Winnie moved in with Chris and his many, many plants. That September, they planned a trip to Spain and Morocco. While in Madrid, after a long day of wandering through art museums, Chris suggested a picnic in El Retiro Park. Once they had found the perfect spot to set down a blanket, this time sitting side by side, and open a bottle of wine, Chris completely surprised Sophie when he pulled a large poster tube out of his backpack. She opened it to find a gingko leaf print inscribed with the words "will you marry me?" She said yes, they both cried, and the rest of the trip was a happy blur.