It all began in the fall of 2019, when two teachers, Nick from Buffalo and Chris from Fort Plain, matched on Tinder while living just a few towns apart in Whitesboro and Ilion, NY. Their first date was at Delmonico’s Steakhouse in Utica, and let’s just say… Nick did most of the talking. (Chris still jokes he needed a microphone just to get a word in.)

But the real spark? It happened in the parking lot. Chris was holding the bag with their leftovers when Nick, never one to hold back, asked, “Are you gonna leave with my leftovers?” They laughed, Chris handed over the goods, and Nick went home to eat them with a friend while gushing about how great the date was. That night, something special began.

Then came the pandemic. While the world shut down, Nick and Chris grew closer, navigating virtual teaching and bonding over family-style takeout from Delmonico’s. Quarantine wasn’t easy, but it was filled with laughter, love, and a lot of pasta.

In 2020, they moved in together in Whitesboro. Friends became family, and road trips became adventures, especially the one to Buffalo where Nick, despite being a lifelong local, took a wrong turn trying to show Chris the skyline and nearly made him car sick. (Nick’s sense of direction is… creative.)

They started traveling to Myrtle Beach to visit Chris’s family, a tradition that stuck. In 2021, they moved to Nick’s hometown of Tonawanda after landing teaching jobs in Western New York. Chris embraced Buffalo life—he became a Bills fan, learned the sacredness of Wegmans on Sundays, and even became a theatre goer (thanks to Nick’s love for musicals and the BPO.)

In 2023, they became proud dog dads to Rocky, their lovable boxer who keeps them on their toes. Together, they’ve played kickball and indoor soccer, though Nick’s athletic journey started with tears in elementary school when he was put on the field and had no idea what to do. (He’s come a long way.)

Then came the summer of 2025, an unforgettable chapter in their story. Both Nick and Chris were secretly planning surprise parties… for each other… on the same day. Nick had been orchestrating a surprise 30th birthday bash for Chris at one of their favorite local spots, Canal Club 62, on June 28. He had everything lined up: invites sent, cake and cookies ordered, guests traveling in, and the bar ready to go. What Nick didn’t know was that Chris was also busy planning...a surprise engagement party for after proposing to Nick… also on June 28.

When Chris shared his plan with Nick’s mom over Memorial Day weekend (obviously not knowing she was already in on his birthday surprise), the universe decided to intervene. Between kickball playoffs that morning (they won the championship!) and some key family scheduling conflicts, the engagement celebration was moved to July 18, thanks in part to Nick’s mom’s award-worthy acting skills. Nick was none the wiser, and Chris's surprise birthday went off without a hitch. It wasn’t until the engagement party weeks later that Nick discovered just how close they’d come to hosting dueling surprise parties on the same day, a story that still makes everyone laugh.

Sundays are for dinner at Nick’s parents, and every October, Chris’s family visits Buffalo. Six years later, their story is still unfolding with laughter, love, and leftovers.

This is just the beginning, and they can’t wait for all that’s ahead!