Athan and Melinda first met in September 2021 at a wine festival in Cleveland. Athan was pouring wine at the Esber Beverage tent, while Melinda was attending with a close group of friends. Athan fondly recalls serving sparkling wine to a girl in a big straw hat, though Melinda remembers him not saying a single word during the encounter. Later that evening, Athan wandered around the festival hoping to run into her again but never did. A few months later, Athan started a new job in Cleveland. On his first day, he was introduced to his new colleagues, and to his surprise, one of them was the "straw-hat girl." He instantly recognized her, but Melinda didn’t realize who he was. A few weeks later, she asked if he had ever heard of the Crocker Park Wine Festival. Athan laughed and told her he had worked at the event. Melinda scrolled through the photos she had taken that day—and there he was, in the background, pouring wine. She finally recognized him as the guy serving the Ziraldo Prosecco. A few weeks later, Athan, brought homemade baklava and a bottle of wine for each of his new coworkers. Melinda’s bottle was perfectly chosen—a Ziraldo Prosecco. "Athan was so easy to talk to that becoming good friends wasn’t hard. We would spend hours chatting during work and he’d call me during our commutes to work. We loved talking, and that’s all I thought it was at first—I didn’t realize I liked him yet. But my heart knew long before I did." A few months into working together, Athan received devastating news—his mother, Katherine, had passed away. The entire team drove to Canton to attend the funeral and support him. Melinda vividly remembers, “I sat in the pew, admiring his strength and courage during such a difficult time. To know Athan is to know how deeply he loved his mother.” Wanting to support her grieving friend, Melinda drove to Canton a few weeks later to have dinner with Athan. They spent the evening laughing and enjoying each other’s company, and by the end of the night, Athan couldn’t resist leaning in for a kiss. The two often wonder what might have happened had they not gone out that night—would they still have ended up together? Over the next few months, they got to know each other better. "Athan must have really liked me because he invited me to his church’s Greek festival right away. I met his friends, family, and saw firsthand the incredible community he and his kids were part of. I loved it so much that I wanted to be a part of it too." Then, just a few weeks later, Melinda received heartbreaking news—her younger brother, William, had passed away unexpectedly. “I was with Athan when I got the call, and he held me in his arms. It’s not common to begin dating someone while both are grieving, but we were in the same boat. Grief is hard and exhausting. We didn’t want to go anywhere, but we were newly dating. Our only outings were trips to Giant Eagle, and we’d joke that those were our dates.” "I know we’re grateful to have had each other as we navigated those stormy waters of grief. It gave us an unshakable bond—surviving our lowest points together meant the only way forward was up." Less than a year after dating, Melinda found herself taking Athan to the ER where he was admitted for a week. "It was a stressful week, but I knew I had to step up. I’d do it all over again because I love Athan that much.” Then, in October 2023, Melinda underwent a total hip replacement. "Athan was my rock. He took care of me with patience and gentleness. “I am so thankful for our journey together. As we prepare for our wedding and to say our vows, I realize how much the words ‘for better or worse, in sickness and in health’ mean to us. We haven’t just talked the talk—we’ve walked the walk. I look forward to walking with Athan as my husband for the rest of my life.”