Matt and Taylor met back in 2019 while both were working at Roche. While they were on different but small teams within the finance department, they often did team activities together and socialized outside of the office as well, such as joining rec sand volleyball leagues and going go-karting. After a bit of time, in 2019, they started dating, with their first real date at a local Thai restaurant.


Only 6 months after they started dating, COVID-19 took the world by storm. Somehow the couple persevered, despite the 2 week isolation periods and long stretches of not seeing each other in person. After some time the world began to slowly and cautiously open up again and the two continued to grow in their relationships through many shared experiences, such as going to Tuttles Orchard, which they did nearly every year. Even if there were not always good apples left on the trees and it was all picked clean.


Finally, in September of 2023, the two of them took their nearly annual trip to Tuttles Orchard to go get some worthwhile apples, this time much earlier in the season, hoping to capitalize on the Gala apples that were still available. After arriving, they were informed that the Gala apples were nearly picked over but some may be left at the end of the row. After a bit of trudging down the lane, the couple came across some apples. Taylor, as if seeing apples for the first time in her life, pounced upon the apple tree and began to strip it clean.


Matt, who had a plan for such a day, continued onwards, shouting back that he was going to find some more apples. Matt shortly found another batch of apples and called out to Taylor to join him and check them out. In the meantime, he got down on one knee and waited. Down the apple orchard lane, Taylor had nearly filled the whole bag but upon Matts insistence, she sauntered up to where he had been. Upon her arrival, she saw what appeared to be Matt somewhat inside the trees boughs, and there, down on one knee, he was resting. While it may have been a few minutes he was there, it mattered not. The first words he spoke were not Will you marry me but Check out these apples as he showed her the ring.


Taylors brain, upon seeing the ring, shut down and the two of them sat in silence. One slowly processing what her eyes were gazing upon, with comprehension slowly cresting within her mind and the other, still on one knee, cramps forming, thinking how this could be a difficult answer. Matt then spoke again, saying Will you marry me, and then, after another pause, a Yes finally escaped Taylors lips.


After 4.5 years of dating the two of them were finally engaged.