How we met Ben and Emily have mutual friends and small-world connections to thank for their many years of happiness together. Emily mentioned to her friend over dinner that she knew of an apartment in Portland looking for a third roommate; that friend’s roommate went to high school with Ben, who was looking for a place in town at the time. They predicted we would get together before we even met, and they were right before the end of that year. Long story short: if you have fun at the wedding, thank Caroline and Anna! Our lives now Ben and Emily now live in Falmouth with their dog, Alfred, whose hilarity knows no bounds. The proposal Emily and Ben’s brother, Brad, were planning to run the Estes 14 on the last Sunday of July (the 14-mile stretch between Brunswick and Harpswell, a run that Emily’s dad had done in his youth). Something came up for Brad, and they decided to reschedule. With an unexpected free Sunday together, Ben suggested a trip to Morse Mountain, a beautiful Phippsburg hike to a beach that we try to do once a year. Morse Mountain has a small parking lot, which contributes to its peaceful desert-island sensation, but also limits visitors to a small access window. We got there early to beat the crowds. We successfully beat them - and then got fully destroyed by mosquitos. When Ben suggests running, you know it’s bad. We spent a lovely few hours at the beach, walking and swimming and reading. As lunch time approached, Ben asked if Emily would like a drink, and pulled a sneaky bottle of champagne out of his backpack. He said, “I actually have one more surprise,” and got down on one knee. Emily said yes immediately and proceeded to jump up and down gleefully for either 20 minutes, 2 hours, or several days - it’s impossible to know for sure.