Technically, the first time we met, Wolf was an 8th grade saxophone player at Palombi and I was the junior Drum Major at LCHS. The directors had agreed the day before the show that we would only play the halftime show song ONE TIME through due to timing issues, but everyone had been rehearsing it WITH THE REPEAT. So of course, performance day arrives and we go to cut-off the band, and my side stops; but the other side keeps playing due to one forgetful trombone player. I panic, but keep conducting because isn't that what they always say? The show must go on? Once it was over, Wolf approached a frustrated me and said something along the lines of "Well, that was a disaster, now wasn't it? But you did great!" It was so sweet of him. We didn't talk again for another year, until he joined the marching band as a freshman, and I had earned my spot as the Senior Drum Major. (Not to brag, but that was the BEST year Lakes' band has ever seen.) Wolf and I weren't particularly close in high school, but we definitely were familiar with one another. I would notice Wolf strategically positioning himself to drop whatever conversation he was a part of to come talk to me on my way to the band room everyday after school when I was going to collect my stuff (Because who needs a hall locker when you have a band locker?) I always thought it was sweet and adorable, but I was a senior, getting ready to commit to college and my sights set well above his freshman head. Wolf would invite me to things he enjoyed (I could never go because I was/am a busy bee) and he was always different than other guys when he asked how I was doing; I always felt I could be honest with him. Even though I spent a good chunk of senior year as a mentor, I always felt he was more mature than other guys his age and mine. I recall telling my best friend that "If Wolf were a little older and little taller, yeah I'd probably date him."

I spent the next 5 years at Saint Mary's College, intermittently hearing from Wolf via Facebook message. On December 25th, 2018, I received a Snapchat from Wolfgang -- I had never received a snapchat from Wolfgang, as far as I could remember (even though we’d apparently been friends on the platform since 2015). I opened it to see a beautifully-illuminated Christmas tree captioned "Merry Christmas!" and I decided to respond similarly. The conversations boomed from there, and we eventually decided to make plans to meet on December 28th at B-Dubs. I hardly recognized Wolf when he entered the restaurant -- he was certainly NOT the little skinny, swoopy-haired 15 year old boy I remembered him as. The day evolved into plans at Kristoff's and coffee at Starbuck's after lunch, but we decided to hang out again in a couple of days, and continued to hang out every other day until winter break ended and Wolf went back to school. We continued to talk incessantly about anything and everything; we even started to call each other. He came home the weekend of February 8th to onboard for his summer job at Six Flags, and we hung out that Saturday the 9th -- we played Pokémon Go around downtown Lake Villa, he took me for Galati's deep dish for the first time, and we picked up Ghirardelli chocolate caramels after a trip to Walmart -- then he left to head back to school the next day.I could not stop thinking about him -- the chemistry between us was undeniable and certainly we'd both been very flirty. When he got back to school, we texted well-into the morning when Wolf asked me if he hypothetically wanted to ask a girl out, what would I think? I told him he knows himself better than anyone else and if he's sure she's who he wants, he should go for it. So at approximately 3:30am on February 11th, 2019, Wolf asked me to be his girlfriend via Snapchat, and I said "FINALLY."

July 11th, 2021 -- I woke up on the Morton family couch, with a headache (dehydration from some tears and alcohol the night before at Wolf's graduation party). Wolf had asked me earlier in the week if I’d like to take a walk that day (Sunday), and play Pokémon Go like we always have at one of our regular play spots, Millennium Park. Seeing my current condition, he decided that maybe we should stick to the house property, as there was also a possible chance of thunderstorms that day. So we took a stroll; I started talking about all the things we had going on in the next couple of weeks and months -- mostly exciting things, some stressful ones. We sat down on the pier, we strolled over to a hill overlooking the lake, and Wolf came to stand next to me. I turn towards him as he says "Looks like we have a lot of things to look forward to in the future, but the one I'm most excited for is spending all of it with you." He got down on one knee and fumbled with the ring case to ask, "Emily, will you marry me?" and I said "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD....IS THIS FOR REAL? OH MY GOD, YES!!" He had invited my family over to celebrate, and we enjoyed a couple of glasses of champagne with both families that afternoon.