Gabe and Abby met at Wesleyan University. Abby was on campus for her freshman orientation. Gabe was a junior and had come to campus early to help newcomers as a member of the ITS Helpdesk. A mutual friend introduced the two at a fraternity party (Abby’s first!). She blushed at the thought that she was mixing it up with cool upperclassmen. He couldn't believe someone so beautiful was talking to him and kept checking behind his shoulder assuming there was someone else. The two remained friendly and saw each other around campus, and in the fall of 2014, began dating!

It was a cold, windy Friday - April Fool’s day, 2022. Gabe and Abby were living in Brooklyn, NY. It was rumored that the Northern Lights would be visible from NYC that night. All day, they wondered whether this was an April Fool’s Day prank or real. They made a nice dinner together, as they often do on Fridays. Afterward, Abby settled in for a cozy movie night, safe from the cold and wind. Gabe had other ideas. He insisted they had to see if the rumors about the Northern Lights were true. He convinced a very doubtful and reluctant Abby to accompany him. They walked to a nearby park with a pier on the East River and a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline. They reached the end of the pier, and Abby looked up to find no Northern Lights. And then she looked back to find Gabe on one knee. What happened after that is a complete blur, expect for the answer to his question, which was an obvious, and ecstatic, Yes!