WHERE IT BEGAN
We met in Northbrook on April 4th, 2021. It was our first in-person meeting after the pandemic. Before then, we had only heard each other’s names and seen each other’s faces on Zoom.
That day, we made eye contact during the meeting and walked toward each other as it ended. People around us were reconnecting, laughing, and hugging. For most, it was a reunion. For us, it was an introduction.
Laurel had just moved to the suburbs of Chicago with her family. After growing up in the city, it was a noticeable change of pace. Caleb was born and raised in the suburbs. He already knew the rhythm of it.
Our introduction was brief but familiar. The conversation quickly turned into a sushi outing near Laurel’s house, joined by a few friends. The first of many shared moments to come.
04/04/22
OUR ENGAGEMENT STORY
Years later, we spent a long weekend in Door County. It was late April, the kind of off-season quiet that makes you breathe a little slower. The air was crisp, the sky overcast, and the beach almost completely empty. It was our favorite version of a getaway. We had no real plans, just slow mornings with coffee and long walks enjoying each other’s company.
That morning, we’d bundled up early and walked down to the shore before most people were awake. We had slept in and missed the sunrise, after a late bonfire the night before. Still, at 6:31am Caleb got down on one knee and asked.
No crowd, no photographer, no theatrics. Just a quiet moment between the two of us, standing on the cliff looking over Lake Michigan, wind in our hair. A simple question asked with certainty. Laurel didn’t hesitate, it was the easiest yes.
Afterward, we went back into town, ordered breakfast at a place some friends had recommended, and ate with our families. It wasn’t about a big moment. It was about the life we’d already been living, and the promise to keep living it, together ‘til the end of time.