The night Josh and Clare met was the first (and last) time they have ever shared a single, personal-sized pizza. Misreading hunger pangs for first-date butterflies, Clare was dazzled by Josh’s mismatched fuzzy rainbow socks, while Josh was taken aback by Clare’s nonchalant “WAZZUP” as a formal greeting. It was here they discovered Clare had been messaging Josh’s roommate on another dating app, and after closing down the restaurant, Josh triumphantly skipped home to deliver the news of his victory.

The following months were a flurry of walks with Josh’s dog (and Clare’s future cuddle buddy), Nola, among the vibrant New England leaves. The days were filled with Josh winning Clare over by baking her (unintentionally slimy) pear galettes, delivering watermelons at every visit, and driving Clare to her slew of medical appointments after she did so much yoga she damaged her nerves. Clare swept Josh off his feet by leaving small, hand-painted moons adorned with notes in his apartment to find while she was away, letting him meet her parents after one month of dating (with ample amounts of coercion from Patty), and buying Nola presents in the form of festive collars (that were, apparently, “not her color”).

Over the years, Josh and Clare discovered that they shared many of the same values and dreams, including having a freezer that is always stocked with ice cream, and finding ways to trap all of their friends and families at a venue for four days while they get married. This is not to say there weren’t some major differences, too- Clare had to break the news that she actually had not taken a liking to Josh’s creepy antiqued paintings of men that embellished the bathroom walls, while Josh learned that Clare has a bad habit of leaving the fridge door wide open. Some of these differences, however, were for the better- Clare introduced Josh to the importance of planning and structure, and Josh showed (forced) Clare to see the opportunities that lie in impulsivity and figuring it out as you go. Now, they are ready to continue this dance and formally become partners for life, bringing out in each other what they cannot do alone, with the people they love the most.