Lilly and Ben's story began at CYMT (the Center for Youth Ministry Training), where they crossed paths. Ben was just about to finish his third year, right as Lilly had just started her first year of residency. Despite Ben's introverted nature, Lilly's extroverted determination led them to become fast friends. Rumors of sparks flying between them in December 2022 turned out to be true, but it wasn't until after they graduated that Ben mustered the courage to text Lilly and ask her out. Their first official “hangout” was a bit of a comedy of errors–Lilly couldn't quite figure out if it was a date or not! After some confusion, they jokingly dubbed it their "date, not date" anniversary. Of course, they did eventually go on a proper date and their relationship blossomed from there. After bonding over a Trash Panda's game in July, they made their relationship official. As their relationship grew, so did their interests—Ben introduced Lilly to the world of sports logos and Legos, while Lilly naturally immersed Ben in all things Disney and Harry Potter. As their love deepened, Ben made the big move to Decatur to be closer to Lilly, turning their medium-distance relationship into a block-away one; and on January 6th, 2024, Ben took the next big step and proposed to Lilly, sealing their love story with a promise of forever.