In order to fully appreciate and understand the story of Julia and Jacob, one must first understand Notre Dame football. Or, at the very least, know where the marching band sits in the stadium at the games.

Although unbeknownst to them at the time, the two soon-to-be-lovestruck students both joined Notre Dame's Band of the Fighting Irish during their first year of college. In a fortuitous twist of fate, Julia, who was a member of the trombone section, sat directly in front of Jacob, a falto, for every home football game that season. Despite this grand opportunity for conversation, the two never exchanged even a single word during their freshman year. However, it was during those early college moments, shared with the camaraderie of the rest of the band, that the foundation for their relationship was laid.

Later on, Julia and Jacob met more formally in the university's Air Force ROTC program. It was ultimately through the activities and mutual friends of AFROTC that the two began to take an interest in each other. One evening, Jacob confessed his fondness of Julia to her roommate at the time and now bridesmaid, Josie. Needless to say, in spite of Jacob's pleading and Josie's promises not to tell, she told Julia of this dramatic development at the first possible moment.

Naturally, following Josie's divulgence, Julia and Jacob began to talk more and more, discussing with each other their shared interests of religion, literature, and music. Jacob eventually mustered up the courage to make his profession of love to Julia who, of course, had known the entire time. Once the initial wave of mortification and giddiness had died down, and then after a few more days of awkward banter, Jacob recovered to the point of offering Julia the proposition of a dinner out, which she was gracious enough to grant him. It was then that the two students who once were just members of the same crowd finally became a couple.