The Ballad of J & Chris

2021

It began as so many love stories do... at work.

J and Chris were colleagues at a research institute in Boston and worked on the same team, occasionally collaborating. J had a lot to learn from Chris and was excited by the prospect of working with such a smart and funny person.

2022

Chris did not share much about their personal life at work, but that did not stop J or Regan (an important and persistent friend) from asking questions and trying to get to know them. Regan and J were determined to become friends with Chris via movie watching, long walks around Brookline, and getting large cups of coffee.

By happenstance, J had begun to play the same video game as Chris. J offered to play with Chris sometime and was overjoyed when they said "yes". A crush had begun to form.

Regan had no interest in video games but was excited to see J pursue this crush a bit further and is a total enabler.

J joined Chris' raid group with their brother Will, and they started to play regularly together, building a bond in-person through long walks around the beautiful parks of Brookline and online.

J is not good at subtlety or keeping their own secrets so it was miraculous that they managed to keep it to themselves for an entire year that they had developed an enormous crush on Chris.

2023

When Chris opened an invitation to go to Maine for a few weeks to stay at their grandparent's house and enjoy the summer weather, it was hard for J to resist. They even managed to convince Regan to come for a few days!

J and Chris spent their days kayaking, brewing coffee, and walking on the beach when after building up their courage, J confessed to liking Chris.

Chris was confused and asked if J liked them as a friend, and J replied, "No, I love you.". To which Chris, asked, "Is this a joke?"

After some discussion and restructuring, Chris said I think I could like you too, however I need time to adjust from "work J" to "dating J".

Their first date included walking through Dock Square to buy candy in the rain. While J took off their shoes that had been completely soaked through and they walked to the beach in a beautiful July thunderstorm.

2024

Jump to a year and a half later, Chris was preparing to leave their job at the research institute and start a new position at another company, thanks to J's support. Together they planned a short weekend away to Quebec City, Canada to use up some of Chris' burgeoning vacation time and saved up work points.

While in Quebec, they came across a beautiful shop with gorgeous jewelry and art. They returned to this shop each of the three days they were in the city, finding new gift ideas for Christmas and returning to the same counter to look at a series of beautiful silver rings with embedded stones.

J confessed that they had been thinking about proposing to Chris this weekend, and that the time felt right. Chris smiled and agreed, offering to buy the garnet ring that they had seen in the jewelry shop. With the first ring in hand, they checked out of their hotel and drove all the way back to Portland, Maine to find the right ring for Chris.

They visited several shops in the late afternoon in Portland, looking for the right size and worn nature that Chris was seeking. They found a handmade silver ring that got it's texture from being hammered brick and blackened. Chris requested that the jeweler make it "a bit more fucked up", before we completed our purchase.

The second ring was acquired and they were on their way back to Kennebunkport and the sun was setting. They cruised to Goose Rocks Beach, where they had spent many evenings in early friendship and dating, walking and talking.

By the time J and Chris arrived at the beach, the moon was high and it was hard to see anything but the reflection of the water.

This was where J and Chris proposed to each other, in the dark, barely able to see one another's faces, knowing that they were in for a wonderful, wild ride together.

2026

We look forward to bringing you with us on the next step of our journey together.