It was June 26th, 2021. How do I remember that date so specifically? Well because it also happens to be the day my brother Jacob got married. I was so excited to get to be a part of their special day as a bridesmaid and celebrate their love story - little did I know, mine was about to begin.

It was a COVID wedding so there were only about 25 guests total. For dinner, I was seated with two of my brother’s closest childhood friends and a mystery man named Russell. I later found out that Russ and Jacob played in a Pink Floyd cover band together and that’s how he scored an invite to their wedding. We sat next to each other all night and hit it off - the rest is history, as they say.

How did I end up telling my big brother that I was dating one of his friends, you ask? Well it took a little bit of liquid courage at my 25th birthday party to spill the beans. He was incredibly supportive of the relationship and has been ever since.