As far as relationships go, Megan and Chris met as most couples do these days – on an internet dating site. Both of them were getting up there in age, and they had reached a point where they’d begun to wonder if they would ever find their person – two beautifully unique souls in a world that didn’t always appreciate what made them special.

Their love story almost never happened. When they first connected, Megan was exasperated by the dating scene and did not respond to Chris’ message quickly enough. Chris, equally weary of the online dating scene, took her silence as another instance of digital rudeness and moved on. Both went on with their lives, going on dates with well-intentioned, but dating-weary people, with little success.

And then months later, their lives crossed on another dating website. As Megan was swiping left and right on hundreds of profiles, she was met with the picture– yet again – of this cheerful bald man with the kind, smiling eyes. She thought “That’s the ass who didn’t email me back…but what the hell? What do I have to lose?”. So she swiped right. And her world has never been the same.

They met for their first date in Boston. Though both arrived incredibly nervous, they quickly discovered an unexpected sense of ease and connection that had eluded them on other dates. Both were able to see not just the quirkiness of one another, but a kindness as well. Megan talked about her love of dogs and her job as a psychologist. Chris made Megan’s eyes glaze over with his talk of SQL servers, but then made them perk up when he talked about his writing. They dined at a carefully chosen restaurant in the North End, followed by wandering around the city at night. By the end of the night, both had figured out that they had found someone special.

Flash forward to nine months later. At this point, Megan and Chris had fallen in love with one another. They had met each other’s families and friends and settled into a comfortable dating relationship with one another. They decided to go on a short vacation to Monterey, California, where they started to see news clips of a horrendous virus that was making its way around the world. Flying home, they saw many people wearing masks on the plane. It was scary and things didn’t look good. The news got worse after they returned home. A pandemic had descended down on the planet and plans needed to be made. And even though Megan and Chris both felt that it was too early to move in together, they did because they didn’t want to lose one another in a socially-distanced world.

At first it was absolutely dreadful. Literally, the first week of lock down, Chris attended a soccer game where he made the unfortunate decision to jump a fence, leaving him with the excruciating pain of sciatica. Megan found herself navigating virus-laden pharmacies to pick up medications and crutches. Chris and Megan had a hard time settling in to live with one another in the 950 square foot house. Both were eternally single people at this point, and it was hard to constantly be in the presence of someone else. So Megan, to manage her anxiety, would go out in the backyard and clear out the overgrown periphery. It was quite the job, but she discovered something that ended up being something wonderful in their life as a couple – this ability to work well together.

It seemed that they fit so well into each other’s life. Megan despised taking out the garbage and mowing the lawn, but Chris loved it. Chris didn’t care much for cooking, but Megan took a shine to it. Over time, they built a home together and even though the world outside of their small house became more concerning and scary as the years went on, they felt a safe comfort.

Both of them shared a love of dogs. When Chris and Megan met, Megan had an older dog (who sported a fantastic beard!) named Sophie. One of the things that attracted Megan to Chris early on was his love and devotion to Sophie. When Sophie eventually had trouble walking long distances in her final year, Chris would take her down the street everyday and be patient with her as she stopped to do her “sniffs”. Those outings brought so much joy to Sophie’s life, and Megan was able to see this inherent kindness in Chris. The kindness extended to their new dog, Lily, whom they adopted in 2023. This little dog had no idea that she won the lottery as she was handed to Megan and Chris from the truck that brought her up from Mississippi, as she became the most spoiled and loved dog on the planet. With Lily, Chris and Megan now have their family.

But the most remarkable part of the six years that Megan and Chris have been together is how much they have changed as individuals. Both, in their own way, became more self-assured and confident in themselves. Some of their quirks faded, and for the ones that stuck, neither cares much what anyone else thinks. It seems that their life together helped them individually develop into the people they always hoped to be.

So that brings us to May 2025. Each year, Chris and Megan typically celebrated the anniversary of when they met in May. Chris suggested that they celebrate the anniversary by having dinner at the restaurant in the North End where they had their first date. On the day of the anniversary, they drove into Boston and parked in a garage somewhat far from the restaurant. When they started their journey through the streets of Boston to the restaurant, Megan, being the consummate psychologist she is, noticed Chris was acting squirrelier than usual. His walking pace was incredibly slow, and at some point Megan commented that they might not make it to the restaurant on time given the snail’s pace they were walking. At that point, Chris began a speed walking campaign that would make an Olympian impressed. It did not impress Megan one bit, as she was left behind in the dust yelling at him, “If this was our first date, there wouldn’t be a second!” (which made the Faneuil Hall tourists laugh).

They eventually made it to the restaurant where they had a beautiful dinner by an open window overlooking Hanover Street. Megan noticed Chris was sweating more than usual. As the dinner ended, he got up and with 60-year-old knees, knelt down next to her and asked her to marry him, offering a ring that he had mysteriously found in the dirt of her front yard. The restaurant fell silent, every table waiting. When Megan said yes, the room erupted in a cheer. That cheer reflected what Chris and Megan felt in their hearts, as they finally cemented their commitment to build their lives together.

As they look ahead, Megan and Chris know that life will keep shifting ways both ordinary and extraordinary. But what grounds them is simple – a shared home, a sweet little dog, and a love that continues to grow stronger with time. On August 8, 2026, they will celebrate this next chapter surrounded by the people who have cheered them on all along.