Julia and Francis met at a speak easy in downtown Manhattan with a name that would suggest it not be shared, but for our friends and families sake we'll just say "Please Don't Tell." After a couple of drinks and an instant connection, Frank asked if Julia was hungry and lucky for him she knew a great spot around the corner. After dinner and a bottle of wine these two lovebirds walked nowhere in particular until it was clearly too late for a first date to go any further. It was the start of a serendipitous relationship.

Frank walked up to the doorman at Julia's building on the Upper East Side. The doorman had become familiar with his coming to pick her up over the two years they have been dating. The doorman opened the door to let Frank up, yet this day was different. Frank was dressed a bit nicer than he usually did for dates with Julia and definitely showing nerves. Frank did not say much to the doorman other than he would wait outside today. The sun had luckily come out from the showers that had just poured over the city. Julia came down to take a walk with her boyfriend in Central Park, a walk that had become a bit of a seasonal ritual to take pictures on the Bow Bridge.

As the couple walked, Julia sensed some tension in Frank. He did his best to play it off. As they walked deeper into the park, they began hitting obstacles impeding their ability to make their way to the Bow Bridge for their yearly picture. Julia and Frank were frustrated that they could not find their way to the bridge, but could clearly see other New Yorkers walking across it without issue. Frank, however, knew there was something more important that needed to be done than a picture on the Bow Bridge.

In an effort to have Julia lead them to the Dene Summer House he misspoke, as is his way as a simple man, and may have made her feel she was not capable of figuring out how to get to the Bow Bridge with all the obstacles they faced. This was clearly not something Frank would ever accuse his lovely Julia of, who is such an experienced New Yorker and Central Park-goer.

Frank knew that their families were waiting for them in the Summer House and somehow avoided further insult while convincing Julia to walk with him to the Dene. Frank and Julia walked while Julia explained that if Frank had been more patient she would have figured out how to get them onto the bridge- a fact of which Frank was sure she was right as always. Frank could barely listen as he was wracking his brain and gearing up the courage as they walked toward the Summer House.

As they turned the corner up the hill to the Summer House, Julia could tell that Frank was definitely not listening and before she could say anything more a familiar little 2-year-old began to run out to her aunt. Frank leaned in and whispered, "Well, now don't these people look familiar." Everything hit and things started to make sense for Julia as she caught her niece (Leila) and caught her breath as she took in the moment. Frank got on his knee before the love of his life asking for her to spend the rest of their lives together. With acoustic guitar playing in the background and PLENTY of bubbly, the families celebrated in what felt like a private party in the Summer House at the Dene. Don't worry guys... she said yes.