In its 64 year history, the Chicago Civic Opera has told thousands of love stories. But on a balmy May evening in 2019 during a showing of 'West Side Story', it started writing its own romance between Dustin & Ryan. While it officially wasn't a "date" per say, sparks ignited under the lights of the opera house. After the show they ventured around downtown in search of a bar that had an acceptable, 'not-sweet', Old Fashioned. The couple shared a few glasses of bourbon at the Emerald Tavern and booked an Uber back to Lakeview. They parted with a simple hug and as they like to say 'bats fluttered in their tummies'. Summer's haze gave way to crisp Fall nights and dinner dates turned into sleepovers with homemade brunches of shakshouka and eggs benedict. Dustin asked for things to be official between the two during a 'Drag Cooking Class' and between bites of charred garlic and potatoes, Ryan happily accepted. Over the next four years the couple's lives intertwined. Weekends were spent curled up watching almost every film they could find, meeting one another's friends and family and most importantly spending time with the other great love in their lives, Caden & Declan. The couple, along with Caden, Declan and all their pups moved into their dream home; a historic Queen Anne in the summer of 2022 (unfortunately, it was not haunted by a gaggle of ghosts as much as the couple wished it was). In the garden of their new home surrounded by friends and family, Ryan and Dustin were engaged in June. They look forward to 'premiering' their wedding this Fall on October 21st, 2023.