Chris moved to Missoula from New York in late summer 2021 for the MFA in fiction, a program which Nicole had just graduated from. They met in early fall through their shared literary community, and on April 22, 2022, they found themselves happy to be sitting next to each other on a Friday night at Flippers with mutual friends. Chris asked Nicole out that night, and the next evening they had their first date. Soon after, Chris went back to New York for the summer, but they spoke every day, and on June 26, Nicole flew out to meet him in Manhattan. A few days later they set out on a cross-country road trip back to their home in Montana, touring the western national parks and falling in love along the way.

Once they made it back to Missoula, they launched into multiple endeavors: Nicole began a new job, including lobbying during the 2023 legislative session. Chris tackled his lifelong fear of dogs by adopting Duke, Nicole's German Shepherd, while also finishing his 2nd year of the MFA and working on his novel.

On April 23, the one-year anniversary of their first date, Chris invited Nicole to join him outside on the patio of their room at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, poured two glasses of champagne and got down on one knee and asked Nicole to marry him. It was the happiest moment of both of their lives when she said yes.