The summer the Baumgartner’s moved to Milwaukee, Emma’s dad helped land her a job at the MSOE recreation center, where she worked the front desk, checking students into the gym.

MSOE is a smaller university where everyone tends to know each other, so when Julian noticed a new face behind the counter, he was intrigued. He didn’t recognize Emma from campus and was curious to know who she was.

While Emma was buried in her Chemistry textbook, studying for a summer class, Julian was working out with his baseball teammates. His curiosity eventually got the best of him, and he asked one of Emma’s coworkers about “the new girl.” That sparked the first conversation between them.

From that moment on, during the summer of 2018, Emma and Julian were inseparable. But as the summer came to a close, Emma returned to college in Ohio and life pulled them in different directions.

Nearly a year and a half later, Julian reentered Emma’s life. This time, for good.

After graduation, they made Milwaukee their home, began their careers, and added a four-legged member to their little family: their dog, George.

Today, Julian and Emma live in Atlanta, Georgia, continuing to build their life together with George by their side.