Carlo and Sophia met at a brunch attended by their mutual friends - it was the late spring in Brooklyn.

Carlo arrived late and took the empty chair across from a young woman he hadn't met before. To this day Carlo swears he remembers a beam of sunlight ripping through the window and glorifying the woman, and maybe some doves flying off too. He was immediately smitten by her and tried his very best to seem composed, calm, cool, and collected.

Sophia, spotting Carlo enter the restaurant, saw a whirlwind of energy personified in the form of a man who showed all his teeth with his smile and who spoke at a volume most others would scream at. When he sat down in front of her Sophia felt a warmness emanating from Carlo and was enamored right away, knowing he was someone she wanted to know better.

From that day forward Sophia and Carlo took notice of each other each and every time they crossed paths. Sophia began showing up at more game nights and gathering spots and the two began a two-year long friendship laden with deep affection for one another. Sophia listened to Carlo tell (very unflattering) stories and felt an ever deepening sense of fondness for him; Carlo heard Sophia share details of herself and her personal life and felt his tenderness for her continue to grow.

Then Covid-19 swept into New York and the pair, along with the whole city, sheltered in place while the invisible threat lurked around every corner. Once they couldn't take isolation any more, they relied upon each other's companionship for socially distant "walks" where they would stroll through Prospect Park, eventually developing a routine of sitting at the foot of a pond and talking for hours.

Sophia, annoyed that Carlo hadn't made a move yet, eventually stopped Carlo during one his many "date night questions" to say "OK. There are feelings here right?!" Carlo responded "Yes!!" as if he had been holding his breath, and the pair has been together ever since.

For two years Sophia and Carlo felt fondness and affection for one another, and after becoming best friends, with some bravery by Sophia, the two became official. Now Carlo and Sophia are still best friends, and both will readily admit that there is still no one else they'd rather spend time with than each other.