Nia had just started grad school at Rice and had luckily stumbled across the institution's most venerable establishment: Valhalla, the grad student bar in the basement of an old chemistry building. Valhalla is dimly lit, smelly, sticky, with a low drone of complaining of underpaid and overworked twenty-somethings. Brad fit right in, Nia less so. Nia started there in the fall of 2018 and found the community she had been looking for, though it took time for her to open up to people. She "worked" the late shift on Mondays, 12-2 am, which you might imagine involved less work and more standing around drinking cider. Brad worked the 10-11pm shift on Mondays. Brad started to stay later, and Nia started to come in earlier, so they could chat for a couple minutes about something or sometimes nothing at all. Brad was taken by Nia's love for other people who really needed it: lonely people who were talking sadly out loud and all of a sudden Nia would be there next to them and their faces would brighten. Nia was taken by Brad's grandmother's rainbow Coogi sweater he wore to a Valhalla party. We became friends and got to know each other over the course of a few months. Brad tried without success to get past the patented Nia half-hug to the patented Brad full-hug. Eventually, buoyed by Lone Star and some friendly goading, Brad asked Nia out, under the dim lights and on the sticky ground, friends watching in the background. Those same friends will be in the foreground in April. At Nia's suggestion, our first date was to go see Captain Marvel, which was horrific and prompted a quick second date. Brad suggested Baby Barnaby's which was much better good job Brad. We then spent 4 years supporting each other. Living in crunchy co-ops, moving in together (after twisting Nia's arm), sweaty summer walks, poorly-insulated apartments, crushing roaches, tough times in grad and med school, viruses floating around and working from home, residency match, moving to Wisconsin, it's been a wonderful experience of give and take. We got engaged in the Apostle Islands on the shore of Lake Superior in October 2022 (Meyers Beach hike, highly recommend). Nia was surprised (somehow) that after 3.5 years together and moving across half the country engagement was imminent, but here we are. We went for an out-of-body kayak paddle and the best pizza of our lives and came back ready to celebrate with you all. We can't wait to see you!