Every hero eventually takes on a sidekick.

It’s much less common for a hero to pick a sidekick that is so much taller, faster, and stronger, but I wasn’t about to turn down such a great gig because from the first time I set eyes on Elena I knew there was a great adventure in store and I wanted to be a part of it. We connected immediately, I think in large part because we are both bookish dreamers and lovers of story.

This love of story developed into a long standing relationship with the dorkiest of games, Dungeons and Dragons. For anyone not familiar with D&D, it is a game of role playing and adventure wherein the players write the story together with a bit of dumb luck dice to guide the chaos.

Over the years we’ve played, I met so many different Elenas: a pacifist elf who loved all the tiny creatures of the realm, a fanciful and cunning young woman with singular focus, and a sneaky rogue with a flimsily hardened external persona, but a heart of gold when it mattered most. That silly game that gave me a chance to meet so many different Elenas also gave me a chance to fall in love with all of them too. I loved them all because they were all a little piece of her brought to life through her whimsy and creativity. The truth is that Elena has already been with me through so many real adventures, the silly fun quests and the painful battles. She’s the only one I’d want to set out with into the unknown.

So now, hand-in-hand with excitement and love, the adventure awaits.

March 21, 2015 started as a bad day. The last thing I felt like doing that day was driving to a wedding and being surrounded by a mass of happy, celebrating people. I was grumbling and grumpy for the majority of hours leading up until the wedding. I wore a blue flower dress.

In spite of myself, the joy of the day overtook me and resigned myself to try to have fun. I had always loved weddings. There was something magical about getting to watch people outfitted in beautiful sparkling gowns and form-fitting tuxedos on the best day of their lives. I danced the night away with the rest of the guests.

The first time I saw Joseph, it was through sparklers. He wore square glasses and had the most earnest look on his face. Apparently, it was not the first time he saw me. He describes watching me dance as "a butterfly having a seizure," which is a great way to tell someone to never dance again. When he finally approached me as the reception was winding down, he asked me if anyone had stepped on my feet while I was dancing. Somehow, that lead to the rest of a whirlwind evening in which he unceremoniously fell out of a desk chair, another wedding guest jumped into a dumpster, and we shared our first kiss in a garden.

Nearly eight years later, after our lives had become completely intertwined, Joseph planned a night of dungeons and dragons. He lit candles around the room and invited all of our friends who had ever played with us - a pivotal moment in our campaign, I assumed. I had rehearsed my British accent and was fully in character when one of Joseph's characters asked my character if she would come away with him.

Well. Of course not. She had a quest to complete.

As Joseph continued his plea, it became obvious - he wasn't asking the Warlock Clarissa Rosalie Auclair to come away with him, he was asking me - human, Elena Lauren Sparacio, to continue adventuring with him. He got down on one knee and asked if I'd adventure with him forever.

Well, of course yes!