Our story starts thanks to a few best friends, one determined mom, and a Thanksgiving visit to Ohio.

In the fall of 2021, Alexis was living in Atlanta and came up to Ohio to visit her best friend Allie, who had recently started dating Cory—Michael’s best friend. The trip was mostly about getting to know Cory… and introducing him to Alexis’s beloved dog, Franklin.

That’s when we met for the first time. Michael was sweet. Alexis was friendly. Franklin gave his approval early, curling up next to Michael that very first day. It was an easy, natural kind of connection—but nothing we thought much of at the time.

Cory’s mom, on the other hand, had plenty of thoughts. The next day, she texted Alexis:

“Alexis Linse to be! ;)”

(Yes, we kept the screenshot.)

We both laughed it off and went our separate ways… until a few months later.

In May 2022, Alexis came back to Ohio for a graduation weekend at Miami University. Cory gave Michael a little nudge—“Come out, Alexis is in town… you know you want to spend time with her”—and even after working a full day, Michael made the two-hour drive to meet us out. We stayed up late talking, and something just clicked.

By the next morning, we were texting. Two weeks later, Michael flew to Atlanta for a surprise visit. (We FaceTimed Allie and Cory from Alexis’s couch—with Franklin in the middle, of course.) Two weeks after that, Alexis came to Columbus to meet Michael’s family. Two weeks later, Michael joined Alexis’s extended family at the lake in Alabama for Nana’s birthday and the Fourth of July.

We spent the next year navigating long distance with countless flights, FaceTimes, and weekend visits—until Alexis made the move to Columbus in May 2023.

Turns out, Cory’s mom was right. And Franklin knew it all along.

Photos