We are so excited to share Katherine's and Mitali's intimate same sex engagement session in Chicago. The session took place around Metropolis Cafe. Katherine and Mitali are such a fun couple to spend the time with. They are so kind and most importantly, their sense of humor is off the charts. Here is the story of how they met in Mitali's words:
"We decided that *I* (Mitali) should be the one to tell Our Story, because Kathy would just give you little snippets of our lives and end each anecdote with, "And that's how we fell in looooove!" Cute, but false. As much as she'd like you to think we fell in love the first time we met when I brought Mrs. Fields cookies to a chemistry study group, that is not true. That's just how we met. I do remember that the first time I saw her, I thought, "Wow, she has such beautiful eyes," but at the same time I'm pretty sure Kathy's first thought about me was, "Great, someone brought cookies." So here's the real deal:
We met at the aforementioned study group, and continued to run into each other over the next several months. Kathy, being the outgoing and friendly person she is, would try to make plans to get lunch or hang out with me. Me, being the slightly socially awkward introvert that I am, found ways to avoid anyone I didn't already know. As friendly as Kathy is, she is just as persistent, and eventually we spent more and more time together. Fast forward a couple of years, when the friendship we had formed turned into the foundation of our new relationship.
We officially began dating in the Summer of 2005, shortly after we took a road trip to Utah. It's a full 24-hour drive each way. That is a LONG time to spend in a car with just one other person. Still, we never ran out of things to talk about and I've never had more fun on a road trip. My favorite part was when Kathy thought I was sleeping and unknowingly serenaded me with her take on "Bittersweet Sublime." I know it's a sad song, but listening to it still makes me smile. After the trip, I went out of town for ten days and Kathy went back to her apartment in Ann Arbor. After being together for the whole trip, it felt strange being apart. We wrote each other letters and chatted on AIM constantly (wow, this was a long time ago!). I wrote out the lyrics to "Bittersweet Sublime" and almost mailed those to her in a letter, until I realized it was actually a SAD song and I was being unnecessarily emo. Kathy was likewise having a rough time and did her fair share of pining. When I got back home, we decided to meet for dinner that same night. It was obvious we had feelings for each other (see: letters and pining) and we began dating soon after.
Almost seven years later, we got engaged. Yes, we took our time. You have to be sure about these things. I took Kathy to Promontory Point in Chicago under the guise of a couple’s photo shoot with two of our friends, and while we sat on the sea wall, enjoying the waves and the view, I gave her a bracelet and charm with the number "1138." 1138 is the number of federal benefits, rights, and protections granted to married couples. At that time (although not anymore, yay!!), because Kathy and I are a same-sex couple, those rights, benefits, and protections would not extend to us if we got married. In giving her the bracelet, I told Kathy that rather than seeing that number as a symbol of what we DON'T have, we should use it as a symbol of what we get to work towards. Most importantly, I wanted it to be a reminder that what we have together cannot be diminished by any law, policy, or statute, and that if we count up all the ways we make each other happy, 1138 would seem like a tiny little number. I did also officially ask her to marry me, and I couldn't have been happier when she said yes. Of course, she also got a ring. I knew better than to leave it at a bracelet.
So this story is the most accurate way to describe "how we fell in looooove" and how we got to where we are today. By the time we get married in October, we will have been together for over nine years. In those nine years, we have finished undergrad, graduated from law school, and settled down in Chicago. We've come a long way from the days of chemistry study groups and impromptu summer road trips, but after all this time, I still think Kathy has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, and I'm sure she still remembers that I brought her favorite cookie to study group."
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