This picture was taken in December of 2022 and is only representative of how our relationship "began" on Halloween night 2021.

Before We Met: Mariah's Move

I (Mariah) moved to an apartment in downtown Durham, North Carolina on September 13th, 2021. I picked up and left my college town after two degrees looking to start my career in the state that my parents had moved to a few years before. Upon many visits in Wilmington with my parents, I found North Carolina to be a great place to live and decided to set up in my "own city". With no job lined up before the move I took a job as a server in a local brewery called Clouds within a week of moving.

The Night we Met: October 31, 2021

Halloween fell on a Sunday night when the Steelers were playing the Browns. I always wore my Ben Roethlisberger jersey when the Steelers played and I had to work. This night was no different.

The serving job I thought was a great way to make some money and meet some people while I looked for a job in my field. I had no idea I would not even be in the state or that job for 7 weeks before "it worked".

I had grown close to the Manager (Kelly) of the brewery who was only a few years older. On a Sunday, it was typically a little more chill, so she invited her boyfriend (Chase) to come and sit around the bar. I later found out that Chase and Kevin were arguably more inseparable than Chase & Kelly. So a few minutes after Chase walks in, this guy in a white t-shirt, black short shorts and flip flops trots in.

A stranger to no one, I begin to talk to "Kelly's crew" about the game. I quickly realize that this guy, Kevin was pulling for the same team as me. I should back up and mention that Kelly loved the Patriots so being a Steeler fan was "the worst" in her mind.

So the story does not actually begin there. Because despite my secret hopefulness, I did not get invited to ice cream that they (Kelly, Chase and Kevin) all openly planned around the bar.

One week later on Monday night (November 8th), I go to Tobacco Road (another Sports bar) by myself to watch the Steelers play the Chicago Bears. I had no cable and frankly, no real friends yet. By chance Kelly walked in the door with her Dad moments later and was looking for company. Just like last time, Kelly calls Chase to come, Chase calls Kevin to come. So in the following order, Kevin, Chase, Kelly's Dad, Kelly and me sit and watch the game.

Paying more attention to being a shit-talker to the Patriot fans around me I do not really pay any attention to Kevin on the other end. However, in the fourth quarter he calls me down to his side because "he needs to hold my hand for goodluck".

The rest is history. This time I do not get invited to the "after plans", card games at Chase and Kelly's. Kevin almost falls over backward asking for my number so he can "only bother me sometimes".