Our love story starts as so many do with an Emergency Department and Sara Bareilles. Jess and Mal met while both working in the Emergency Department at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, CO. He was a paramedic, she was a nurse (Sounds like a Hallmark movie doesn't it?). Shortly after Mal started at the U, Jess overheard him telling another co-worker that he LOVED Sara Bareilles. Of course Jess heard this conversation as she was also a SUPER-FAN and didn't know anyone else that liked her music (this was before she was as popular as she is today, an if you don't know who Sara is, look her up, she's awesome). So one day Jess decided to walk up to Mal and tell him that she, too, loved Sara. So she walked up and said, "whenever I hear Sara Bareilles I think of you". She may or may not have forgotten to actually introduce herself or add anything else to the conversation before doing an about face and walking away.....so it was a bit awkward. Even so, from there, not only has this turned into an amazing story to tell family and friends, Jess and Mal's friendship started to grow to where it is today! If is wasn't for that ER, Sara, or that awkward first encounter, you wouldn't be reading this right now. So let's raise a glass to Jess' awkward courage that day..... cause without it, who knows!