On one fateful evening Anthony woke up and decided that he was too old to live in his parents house at the ripe age of 23. Instead of mooching off his ever-loving parents, he decided to be an adult and throw money away into the ether by renting a place with roommates. He grabbed his bestest of buddies, Marcel, and enlisted the help of some rando at work to find a house to rent. The rando told Marcel and Anthony that they had two friends who were currently hiking The Appalachian Trail and they planned to move to Colorado when they were finished. They had all planned to live together. Anthony being the persuasive man that he is convinced the rando to apply for a house to rent without waiting for their friends. They did so, and their rental application was promptly denied. . . fate.

Having been denied from their rental application, Marcel and Anthony reconsidered the two friends hiking the Appalachian Trail and were convinced by the rando to apply for a house all together in the prestigious Briargate area of Colorado Springs. The two friends battled the elements and completed their tenant applications atop a mountain, the only place they consistently got cell service, while the rando, Marcel, and Anthony handled their applications in person. In a seeming act of desperation, the homeowner approved their application; 5 tenants not related by blood approved to live in their 6 bedroom 4 bath house. . . fate.

Anthony, Marcel, and the rando all promptly moved in and wished our new roommates still hiking the trail a fond thank you and a stern, "don't forget to pay your rent." The friends finished the Appalachian Trail feeling victorious and eager to start their lives in beautiful Colorado. They packed their things and began their journey to the big house in Briargate.

Finally the day of reckoning had arrived, and Anthony and Marcel got to meet their new roommates for the very first time. Cassidy walked in the door carrying some things and introduced herself to them and continued to unpack. Anthony and Marcel saw this as an opportunity to celebrate and devised their break-the-ice plan. That night all the roommates gathered and started what became a tradition throughout the lease; they played drinking games. Anthony and Marcel of course played with no mercy and left the most sober that night. But a bond started to form that night over the beer pong table. Cassidy thought being around Anthony and Marcel was fun and easy, and she was mostly relieved that they weren't weirdos. Unbeknownst to Anthony, Cassidy was also trying to convince her friend not to live with the other three, as five people to a house sounded too crowded, and she'd be the only girl in the house. But the friend convinced her. . . fate.

Then the world ended. . . just kidding. COVID-19 started, but what's the difference? This created a unique opportunity for the roommates. Having four other people to spend time with in lockdown, friendships were destined to form, and destined to fall apart. The roommates often played board games, watched shows, and drank together, and Anthony and Cassidy were usually the last ones standing as the two night owls of the group. They stayed up late talking so often that it felt weird when they didn't. They learned about each other's pasts, their perspectives, their hopes, their fears, and they each listened with passion and care, except maybe during the political conversations. To Cassidy, that's what set Anthony apart, though. After spirited debates and occasional bruised feelings, Anthony never held a grudge, and he was always welcoming and kind to Cassidy. It was clear that they began to form a friendship unlike any other they had before. Many nights passed, and many beers were downed; the roommates built a beermas tree that was 9 ft tall to dedicate to the year of COVID-19.

Then finally came the end of lockdown, and everyone in the house had decided to go their separate ways. Anthony ironically moved back in with his parents. Oops. It was there he realized that something was missing. That something was Cassidy; he missed her dearly. Cassidy was able to get her own apartment, and Anthony spent time with her frequently. Cassidy had this crappy little green couch she got off of Facebook Marketplace that was a good size for her, but was much too small and terribly uncomfortable for Anthony. They'd drag the mattress from her bedroom onto the living room floor to comfortably sit and watch movies together. He had finally realized how hard he had fallen for her when she was no longer living with him. Anthony was cautious, but intentional; he knew what he wanted, but he didn't want to scare Cassidy away, so they took things slow. Secretly Cassidy had the same feelings, and at first was scared to feel them and act on them, and was just hoping for the best. Anthony was persistent despite Cassidy's fears and cold feet, and they began dating on June 6th 2021.

Things were great for the pair, and life moved fast. Anthony had gotten a new job in Denver, and didn't want to leave Cassidy behind. Cassidy didn't want to get left behind either, and was already looking for jobs in Denver knowing that Anthony would soon have to go. They talked about living together again, what Anthony was desperately wanting, but Cassidy was hesitant to live with a partner until they were engaged. Anthony came home to Cassidy's apartment one evening after a night out with his friends and told her, "I know there's something you want before you live with a partner, and I can give that to you now, but if you're willing to be patient, I can make it really special." So, they started looking for a place together. Then Anthony, being tired of throwing money away into the ether renting, proposed a crazy idea: they should buy a place instead. This happened just 4 months after they started dating; their commitment to one another was unwavering.

Anthony and Cassidy bought their first condo together in October of 2021 and have shared many moments together in it, appreciating them all and enjoying each other's company. It was like COVID-19 was back again because all they wanted to do was stay home and spend time with one another. They laughed, they cried, they fought, they felt, they listened, but most importantly they loved each other. Anthony finally saved the money to propose to the girl of his dreams, the one he didn't realize he was missing until she was there. Anthony proposed at Hanging Lakes, one of the most beautiful hikes Cassidy had ever been on, and of course, she said "yes." Six times in a row, in fact. They got engaged on August 4th 2022, the best belated birthday gift he has ever received.

Now Cassidy and Anthony eagerly await their wedding day, wondering how they ever managed in life without each other before. The future fears Cassidy and Anthony because they're ready to tackle life together hard.