I (Kate) was living in Bellingham in a three bedroom home with two other people. When one roommate moved out, the other roommate, Stephanie, and I decided to look for a male to fill the other room. You know, to give the house more balance. So Stephanie took it upon herself to post a craigslist ad.

Stephanie and I interviewed a handful of candidates. Most of them were fine but none of them felt like an immediate match. Stephanie mentioned there was one more candidate that had emailed back and forth a few times but was slipping through the cracks when it came to setting up a time to meet. I wasn't feeling satisfied with our current options and asked her 2-3 times to make it happen with this last candidate. Just so we could have as many options as possible.

The day finally comes for this last interview. The previous night Stephanie and I had been up late drinking around a bonfire but stuck to our plans to garden in the morning. As we sluggishly finished weeding a garden bed, the last candidate, Brett, comes riding up on a bike. We both paused. Dressed in a nice polo and with slicked backed hair and clean shaven face, he stood out from your usual Bellinghamster. As you can imagine, Brett did a lot of the talking and decidedly told us that he would be a good fit in the home. I think we were both too tired to do anything but laugh and take in the show that is Brett. Lucky for me, Stephanie and I agreed that he was the best fit for the home.

When it came time for him to move in, I had just gotten back from a long run and again was not at my best. Needless to say, this was not love at first sight. This was a mutual, you are intriguing and different at first sight kind of thing. His Aunt, Beth, was there to help him move in to his new room. I was still unsure of what to think of Brett at the time. But after meeting Beth, and feeling the instant connection with her, I felt assured that this guy was alright.

In the first few weeks, Brett and I went on many hikes and runs together as roommates. We also spent many nights talking for hours. I found myself gravitating towards his company even when having other male interests around. It became increasingly clear to both of us that there was something familiar and exciting about our relationship. After spending the 4th of July on kayaks on the bay, watching fireworks, we knew we couldn't pretend we were just roommates anymore. The best way I can describe it is that I felt like "Oh, there you are". A few months after seeing each other I took Brett home to meet my family and my second family, the Hickmans. Upon saying goodbyes from our visit, he confidently informed Susie Hickman that he would be around for a long time so she'd see a lot more of him. I believe that was his way of saying he knew he was going to marry me after the first few months of knowing me.

I started every previous relationship telling my partner that I had very little interest in marriage or starting a family. I never once said that to Brett. He makes even the mundane, exciting. He makes me feel excited about our life and future together. And he has a pekingese.

It's been five years since we started this journey. Brett and I have been through highs and lows, long distance to small apartments, poor to slightly less poor. We have worked hard to become better versions of ourselves and solid partners for each other. It hasn't all been smooth sailing. But the man I'm about to marry has this really amazing trait. He has the ability to self reflect, to empathize, and to work on himself. And that's about the only thing I need to know about him to know that this will probably work out. That and that we will always have dogs.