On November 14, 2017, in Columbia, South Carolina, Emily made a phone call to her date - she was stuck at a train crossing on Rosewood and was going to be late. If there are two things you should know about trains in Columbia, first, they are notoriously slow, and, second, they have the worst timing. Adam and Emily had exchanged messages for weeks on Bumble leading up to their first date, but this was the first time either one of them had phoned the other. He picked up the phone, and she heard his voice for the first time despite their almost daily communications for over a month. The tenor of his voice was deeper than she expected. They chatted as the train hummed on in the background. On the other end of the line, Adam was panicking. He was already at the restaurant where he had recommended that they meet for a drink, and with a packed house and no seating in sight, their first phone call offered her a chance to see how indecisive he could be. As the train droned on, she heard a slight panic in his voice - the restaurant he'd chosen for their date was packed and he wasn't sure seats would open up, even with the delay. Being new to Columbia, she wasn't familiar with too many places, but she did know one place with a killer cocktail menu. Bourbon - aptly named for their expansive library of whiskeys - was a stone's throw from his apartment. She didn't know that, but it was a sign that his luck was turning around. With a sigh of relief at her flexibility and the comfort of being so close to home, he picked up and headed downtown. Emily hung up the phone and the nerves she had felt prior to the phone call subsided. She honestly hadn't realized she was nervous until she felt the absence of anxiety. She'd been talking to this guy for a long time, after all, and hearing his voice brought an unexpected peace. Adam excitedly hiked up the hill to their new destination. Bolstered by Emily's voice and her clear-eyed decision making, the crisis was averted. He arrived to the restaurant before her and grabbed a seat in the corner at the bar. Signaling to the bartender that he was waiting for someone, Adam took off his jacket and leaned into the anticipation. After several minutes of waiting, the caboose finally made its way across the stop and the rail guards lifted. She crossed the stop and rerouted her drive to head towards Main Street. The drive was short and she found a parking spot just a few blocks away from Bourbon. It was an unrealistically chilly night for the South, she thought, and wrapped her blanket scarf a little tighter around her body. As she neared the restaurant, her heart started to pound in her ears as the anticipation of meeting this person she already felt close to came closer to fruition. She approached the door and opened it swiftly to be greeted with the sweet and familiar smell of bourbon and maple. The heavy drapery near the door meant to keep the cold out swung open, and the person she would unknowingly someday marry turned around.