A few days later, Aaron invited her to join him in Little Italy for dinner (the perfect suggestion of course). Surprising no one, Annie was running late to their date, but Aaron let her know there was a parking spot behind Trattoria Restaurant. Anyone who has ever been to Cleveland’s Little Italy would understand Annie’s confusion and disbelief when there actually was a parking spot behind the restaurant when she arrived. …And then she heard, “Thanks Buddy!” Aaron had pre-paid for her spot, and it was the best $10 he ever spent. The rest of that first date was romantic and magical and all of the good things a first date should be. The fact that Aaron volunteered to help Annie fix her car’s headlights before her upcoming trip to Pittsburgh was just icing on the cake. (Annie would be on her way to be Ashley’s Maid of Honor for a different July 20th wedding!) Unfortunately for Aaron, replacing the headlights on Annie’s Volkswagen was a tougher job than he expected (2 hours in Allison’s garage in 95 degree heat instead of a 15 minute job). Fortunately for Aaron, Annie knew nothing about cars, or that the job was only supposed to take 15 minutes, because his chivalrous act impressed Annie so much that she never let him go. They have been inseparable ever since, and not just because they were on rolling quarantine together for the first four months of the pandemic.

Annie and Aaron are known for their competitiveness – especially with one another. It all started when the Groom was adamant about a certain graphic detail in the Bride’s all time favorite move (When Harry Met Sally). To settle the argument about whether that detail actually appeared in the film, at the beginning of the movie, Annie and Aaron bet vacation radio privileges for their upcoming trip. The winner would control the radio for the next 7 days. Much to Aaron’s chagrin, Annie is an expert in all things Meg Ryan, so he was fortunate enough to be forced to listen to America’s Top 40, Louie Prima, and Brittney Spears all the way to the beach that year rather than his favorite classic rock station. Since then, the couple wagers whenever there is a disagreement to be settled, whether it is on pop culture, sports, household chores, etc. Annie and Aaron recently visited the deli where a famous scene of When Harry Met Sally was filmed in NYC. Like Rob Reiner’s mother, they too would have what Meg Ryan was having!

On October 22, 2022, Aaron and Annie planned to take a trip to Cedar Point for Aaron’s Birthday. First, they would travel west to Bowling Green to visit Annie’s Uncle Dale and cousins Bruce and Gail. It was a wonderful day filled with good stories, art, and food. Aaron and Bruce are so similar that they were actually wearing the same shirt when we arrived (unplanned)! They enjoyed a lovely dinner and then headed to Cedar Point for a fun night at Halloweekends, one of their favorite things to do together. When Aaron tells this story, he tells a whole section about Ballreich’s potato chips and Annie’s tendency to be a klutz. The important thing to note is that Annie did not forget her season pass like she thought, and the potato chips she sat on and allegedly crushed were unharmed. After a fun night at the park, Aaron suggested they take a walk on the boardwalk. Though Annie was not known for her ability to walk long lengths or stay up past 11:15pm, she agreed. Unbeknownst to her, several months before, Aaron had visited the park to scout out just the right place to propose. He picked two potential spots. Aaron gave Annie the choice of going right or left. Annie decided they would walk right to see the rides lit up at night. They almost made it to the spot Aaron had picked, but construction blocked their way. Aaron proposed to Annie on the boardwalk at Cedar Point on the night before his birthday. It was a total surprise because she had planned the trip to celebrate his birthday! Annie barely gave Aaron enough time to put weight on his knee before saying yes!