Charles and Andrea met at a New Year’s Eve party organized by City on a Hill, Kansas City’s Catholic young adult ministry, at the Vox Theatre. Their mutual friend, Kelsey, whom Andrea met in high school and Charles knew from the University of Dallas, introduced them during the swing dance lesson. Charles sent Andrea a friend request on Facebook the next day. A few weeks later, he messaged Andrea excited about the upcoming lecture Cardinal Burke was giving in the Kansas City area. Charles now admits he was 95% interested in Andrea and 5% interested in Cardinal Burke. He went to the lecture and the next day invited Andrea to go two-stepping at Kanza Hall. They went on a few dates that winter/spring before Andrea told Charles she wanted to be friends and (to Charles' surprise) actually meant it, so a friendship began.

Andrea prayed a 54-day Rosary novena for vocational clarity and a holy husband, if it was God's will, in the days preceding the Immaculate Conception (December 8). On December 7, 2018, Charles passed his comprehensive exam and wanted to celebrate. Charles and Andrea made plans to meet their friend Kelsey at a late night happy hour. The two of them showed up on time, but Kelsey was over an hour late. Charles had a wonderful time talking to Andrea while waiting, so he resolved that night to try asking her out again. On December 8, City on a Hill once again had an event Charles and Andrea both attended. There was a Mass for the Immaculate Conception followed by dinner and dancing at the Vox Theatre. He was undeterred by one friend telling him she didn't think Andrea was interested and another friend's attempts to match Andrea with other people. At the end of a fun night, Charles told Andrea he thought he could marry her. That seemed like a clear sign that they were supposed to give a romantic relationship another try. Over the next few months before Charles graduated, they delighted in walking through parks, eating barbecue, admiring art at the Nelson, attending the opera, and cooking many meals together. When Charles moved to San Antonio for his new job, they continued to date long distance style, aka video calls. They now enjoy discussions of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity and spending time together while working on their separate projects in front of a phone camera.

Clearly aided by graces from the Blessed Mother's intercession (he describes this process as Mary whacking him over the head with a shovel), Charles decided it would be fitting to include her in his and Andrea's relationship once again. While on a trip with Andrea's cousins over Labor Day weekend, Charles and Andrea went alone to Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on Saturday morning. After Mass, they walked around looking at the numerous mosaics before stopping to pray in Our Lady's chapel where Charles proposed.