It was mid-August in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the flowers were blooming. Nicole and Cooper fatefully happened to fall into the sorority and fraternity, respectively, that were paired together for Nebraska football tailgates. In anticipation of those tailgates, there was a mix n' mingle the Sunday before classes started. It was there one of Cooper's friends introduced him to Nicole because they, "might know each other since you're both from Chicago." Cooper was smitten instantly. Even though all his energy was spent trying to maintain a cool demeanor, he still remembers exactly what Nicole was wearing. She was clearly the most gorgeous girl at the party. Their first date was at the Coffee House a few weeks later. Cooper presented it as a low-stakes opportunity to get to know each other, but he was still nervous the night before (maybe even laying out his outfit). After their first date, they talked off and on until they finally decided to make things official. Many formals, football games, car rides back to Chicago, and late night snacks later, they ended up taking a brief sabbatical from being together. Although not ideal, it all ended up being for the best. When Cooper graduated from UNL, he moved back home and started law school. One year later, Nicole graduated and moved back home to start grad school. Eventually, they met up, "just to catch up as old friends." They walked around Nicole's new campus catching up and sipping coffee. Cooper recalls taking small sips to make their time together last longer. The flowers were blooming once again. Things picked back up, and they talked fairly consistently over the next few months. Eventually, on February 21 (or 20, or 22, depending on who you ask), Cooper asked Nicole to be his girlfriend, and she said yes (rather excitedly). The next couple years saw Cooper and Nicole juggle occupational therapy and law school (exams, classes, studies, and assignments), living at home, social lives, and self-care - and they did it all together. In 2020 they moved into Cooper's one-bedroom apartment in Wicker Park together and stayed there for the remainder of his lease. They got a cat, Marco Polo, together. They cooked each other dinner, watched movies, did home workouts, drank beer and scotch, walked to get coffee, and began melding their lives more and more. In 2021, they moved into a quaint Coach House with MP and further meshed their lives together, so that soon enough they became so interwoven they were indispensable pieces of the other's puzzle. Cooper proposed (Nicole said yes), they got another cat, Levi, they completed puzzles, read books, drank more beer, wine, scotch, and coffee, danced (mostly Cooper), laughed, fell asleep watching movies (Nicole), and grew closer and closer. And now, they're getting married!