Tyler had made the drive from Maine after Thanksgiving and nearly cancelled the first date. Luckily he went out on a limb - it became the best first date either had ever been on. It was clear after dinner at Bar Rosso in Stamford, CT and some post-dinner drinks, these two were going to be inseparable (Tyler was known to be a stage 5 clinger, after all).

Out of a terrifying and stressful time in the world emerged a silver lining: a trauma bond that reinforced friendships and solidified a relationship. Hendrick moved into the Edlie Ave apartment with Lindsay + Tyler, and with Kyle also joining, the Quaranteam was born. Through countless game nights, drinking games and news cycles about COVID, we navigated a big step in any relationship. The great news is that it went swimmingly! Our love grew and expanded in a profound way.

Then the leap came - officially moving in together! Despite Lindsay's attempt at a compound for us all to live together, we got our first apartment at The Waypointe in Norwalk. This apartment was truly a joint venture: choosing new furniture, decor and agreeing on a whole host of details together. We continued to both work from home together and spend every day together. This may be a recipe for disaster in some relationships, but we bonded and cared for each other even more.

It wasn't a human baby, but we love him just as much! Jasper joined our little family and we got a crash course in caring for our first fur family member. Jasper continues to be the light in our life as we work from home (he's a sassy bitch, but we still love him), and we cannot imagine our life without him!

It was somewhat surprising when Hendrick planned an entire brunch day in Brooklyn (Tyler rarely lets go of the planning, to no one's surprise). After an amazing brunch and walk along the water in DUMBO on a crisp, sunny November Saturday, Hendrick surprised Tyler with the perfect proposal. While thrilling and perfect in and of itself, he also had planned a surprise engagement party for that night! A day neither of us will ever forget.