Turns out, good things can come from working brunch. If you've every worked in the restaurant business, you know nobody likes the brunch shift. The pay isn't great, and patrons haven't had their coffee yet...

But there was one upside to working brunch for Stephen - the bartender. The words he used to describe her were "intelligent, hard-working, kind, and regal." And cute, obviously. He asked a colleague (shout-out to you, Kristin Bargmann) to do some recon. Bargmann very subtly asked Rachel, "If Stephen hypothetically liked you and wanted to ask you out, would you say yes?" Rachel said she would. Hypothetically, of course.

Next shift they worked together, Stephen waited for the opportune moment to make his move. Moments alone are hard to come by during brunch, so when she went outside to the freezer for more ice cubes he seized the day. And the rest is history.

Later that week, he dazzled her with dinner. And while discovering Rachel was a Dean of Spiritual Formation and ordained pastor was a plot twist, Stephen became only more convinced he'd found the right one. It didn't take long for Rachel to fall for Stephen's gentle spirit, quiet confidence, and love for Jesus and his elderly neighbors. Also he was a chef. And an artist. And real cute...

One year later, Stephen left a very expensive lump of coal in Rachel's stocking on Christmas Day and asked her a question. She said yes to that one too.

R&S