We're married!

Eric and Morgan's love story begins with friendship. They both worked for Beast Editorial and met when Morgan was visiting San Francisco from Chicago on a work trip in 2012. She moved to SF in 2014, and their friendship really kicked off. Morgan was new in town, and Eric showed her the ropes. Work nights out often ended with their own late-night burrito runs, and Eric dropping Morgan off on his way home. They both loved an adventure and always said yes. They’d sneak out of work to get chair massages in Chinatown; he’d endure hours of girl talk while she lounged on the couch in his office while he worked, and one night in the wee hours, they got their palms read in the Tenderloin in a mysterious storefront that they could never find again (they swear it really happened!). If you ask Morgan, they were best friends. According to Eric, they were good pals, but he wasn’t above hiding under his desk occasionally when he heard her coming (he swears he doesn’t do that anymore). And yet, they never dated each other back then. Not even a little. Morgan moved home to Kansas City in 2018. They kept in touch, of course, but it wasn’t until their friends Blake and Clarissa invited them on a trip to New Orleans that everything changed. It was June 2021, and the friends were vaccinated and ready to party! Eric and Morgan hadn’t seen each other in person in over a year, and the reunion was sweet. The first night in NOLA, the pair felt a spark. They pretended everything was normal around their friends and even dismissed their fling as just a holiday romance, but it was that goodbye kiss at the airport that changed the game. Not a day has gone by that they haven’t spoken since. NOLA kicked off a 15-month long-distance romance, including a rendezvous in Charleston, countless trips back and forth from SF to KC, and another wild weekend in Louisiana with friends. In September 2022, they packed up the apartment Eric lived in for 20+ years in Daly City, loaded Guapo and Rocky Balboa into Eric’s car, and drove across the country to KC. Eric moved into Morgan’s tiny row house in Union Hill, near downtown Kansas City, and their furry little family settled in nicely. Their dogs Beau and Guapo became the best of chums. Morgan actually enjoyed having a 20-year-old boa constrictor in her living room, and Peach and Alfie saw to it that Eric became a cat person in no time. In June 2023, the pair took a very special trip to Ireland for their friends’ wedding, followed by a week in Morgan’s beloved Scotland. Unbeknownst to Morgan, on the last full day in Scotland, Eric clocked her eyeing an engagement ring in the window of an antique jewelry shop near their hotel. Announcing he needed to run to the pharmacy later that morning, he snuck back to the shop and quickly bought the ring. He carried it in his pocket all day, waiting for the right moment to propose. Oblivious, Morgan accidentally foiled more than one attempt. The next morning, wanting to make sure they were still on Scottish soil when he asked, Eric got down on one knee in a taxi on the way to the Edinburgh airport and asked Morgan to marry him. Blown away, she said yes without hesitation. Morgan finds it equal parts adorable and ridiculous that Eric doesn’t believe in flip-flops and wears his Jordans on the beach. Eric finds it amusing and endearing that Morgan speaks almost exclusively in hyperbole. Eric’s passion for cooking means Morgan no longer survives on charcuterie and takeout. Morgan’s excellent taste means Eric no longer stays at the Motel 6. Eric still hates the Chiefs, every week with a smile on his face, and Morgan actually understands football now. They love doing just about anything together, including treasure hunting at antique malls, searching for the perfect smash burger, walking their dogs, and making memories with their many dear friends. They thrive on each other's zest for life and look forward to whatever the future holds for them.