FIRST DATE. Derek, a then-prospective student, meets Emily, a first-year, outside UT Austin’s Government Department building to talk about the UT program, Kenyon, and the Great Books. The “date” includes a walk to the student union and coffee.

SURVIVING COVID. Derek is now an admitted student; the new friends embark on a sustained email relationship during the initial months of lockdown. Two years later (in May 2022), Emily gets COVID. Derek delivers groceries to her apartment and they enjoy socially-distanced dates.

ON THE ROAD. Derek and Alfred move to Austin...not yet knowing that the road will lead to his future wife and Alfred’s human-mom.

MOM’S INTUITION. Derek and Mari exchange a telling text.

FIRST KISS. Derek picks up Emily at the airport. They get dinner (and their first Topo Chico) at Central Market; read Shakespeare Sonnets 94 and 116, recommended by Matt; and kiss for the first time.

FIRST TRIP. Memorial Day weekend at the beach: Ian, Derek, Ian, David, Emily, Max, Chris, Tarek, Evan, Natalie, and Jon (taking photo).

SIMPLY AT EASE. Just over a month after their first kiss, Derek captures this photo of Emily, simply at ease, modeling her “AC shawl.” He already knows they will have a “good shot of doing well together, if we play our cards right.”

FIRST CHRISTMAS. Knowing Emily was sad because it wasn’t practical to get a big Christmas tree for her 400sf studio, Derek surprises her with a small artificial tree—which they still have—and figures out how to assemble it. A still memorable gift to Emily, it signals to her “just how caring and attentive Derek is.”

GOOFING OFF. Emily tries on Graeme’s sunglasses during an end-of-semester “heathen day.” As Derek watches Emily relax and goof off in front of him and their friends, he knows they have a good shot of “doing well together with our friends, and that they all do, too, with us.”

THE FORET ’RENTS. All masked up, Emily, Derek, and Alfred return to Austin after Emily’s first visit to DC to meet Mari and Palmer.

THE DAVIS ’RENTS. On Derek’s first trip to Santa Fe, the couple is “doing work” (which Jocelyn teases them for saying)—or perhaps a crossword. Having now spent quality time at home with each other’s parents, Derek knows they “have a good shot of doing well together with our parents, and that they all do, too, with us.”

BASEY-BALLY. Mari carefully composes a photo of Emily and Derek at Nats Park so Matt won’t know his daughter is rooting for the Nats at a game against the Giants.

BFFS. Emily and Ariel become BFFs during Emily’s summer in DC.

FIRST ANNIVERSARY. Emily and Derek celebrate their first anniversary at Cru Food and Wine Bar.

ROLLING STONES. The Forets head to Austin to see the greatest rock and roll band in the universe—as well as Emily, Derek, and Alfred.

BROADWAY. Mari and Palmer meet Jocelyn for the first time. The three parents, along with Emily and Derek, share a love of The Music Man (as well as Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster) in NYC over St. Paddy’s Day weekend.

KENYON ROOTS. During Derek’s fifth-year Kenyon reunion, the couple visits a classroom in which they “almost had a class together.” They also shared the same piano teacher at Kenyon—but never met.

MOVING IN. Alfred helps (see below).

MOVING IN. A huge milestone in their relationship, moving in together also proves to be “unglamorous and challenging." By the end of the move, the two agree that its challenges made them stronger, and that they “are very proud of ourselves for getting through it together (and, of course, very thankful to Mari and Palmer for their help!!).” Alfred is delighted to live with both of his human parents.

THE FAMILIES GATHER. Thanksgiving 2022 marks the first time the Davis and Foret families are together. “Everything that week went so well—from our family river walk to the ’child swap’ on Thanksgiving day, where Emily cooked with Mari and Palmer, and Derek cooked with Matt and Jocelyn—and it was crucial for our relationship because it solidified what we already strongly felt: that joining our families was a great idea.”

PET PEEVES. In the midst of a fashion show, Emily points out one of her pet peeves: Derek forgot to replace the trash bag. Emily’s (almost always) ability to point out issues without becoming exasperated reminds Derek that they have “a good shot of doing well together domestically; of being ’economists’ together.”

DROP EVERYTHING. After receiving the Marshall Foundation award, Emily is invited last-minute to its end-of-year dinner in DC. Derek joins her without hesitation, even though the trip will be a hassle for him: It’s the end of the semester, and the dinner invitation doesn’t include a plus-one. Emily remembers, “It cemented my confidence that throughout our lives together, I would always have his support.”

ST. JOHN'S. Emily accompanies Derek to DC to celebrate the completion of his master’s degree from St. John’s.

ROAD TRIP. During a road trip telling family and friends that they will soon be engaged, the couple meet up with Derek’s friend, Liz, at a bar in Chapel Hill. Liz sneaks this photo to send to their mutual friend, Phoebe—“a photo that evidences our doing well together.”

BARBENHEIMER. Derek and Emily dress for Barbie. . . pretty in pink, but they don’t love the movie. They do love Oppenheimer and, in August, they explore Los Alamos together.

TALKING MARRIAGE. A couple hours after indulging in a fun, purple gin martini at a restaurant in Santa Fe, Derek turns to more serious matters and asks Matt for his blessing and permission to propose to Emily. Throughout the week, the couple talks a lot about what marriage means. They plan to exchange traditional marriage vows, and they discuss what exactly they will be promising when they say those vows. “For better, for worse...in sickness and in health: If one of us loses a job, or gets chronically ill, or suddenly becomes wheelchair-bound for the rest of our lives, the other will stay. These are somber thoughts, but we are both committed to taking marriage seriously, and that involves examining those thoughts before actually entering into marriage. This week confirmed that we are both ready to get married, and to marry each other.”

AT THE OPERA. Another cultural outing: Matt, Jocelyn, Emily, and Derek enjoy a night at the opera in Santa Fe.

ENGAGED!