It Started at a bookstore
Rochelle began working at Barnes & Noble. where Scarlett had been working post COVID-lockdown for a few months. Scarlett, who is writing this, recalls seeing Rochelle for the first time from across the store and thinking, "Damn, okay." She couldn't quite get a read on Rochelle at first...but, little did they know, their fairytale had already begun to brew.
February
2021
For her birthday, Scarlett wants to take a research trip to Georgetown for the new book she's writing. She wants to take someone special with her, and sees that Rochelle won't be working that day. She invites Rochelle, and they spend the day in the mountains climbing in mining ruins and visiting the Central City Cemetery, where Rochelle reads Scarlett one of her favorite poems.
June
2021
Rochelle invites Scarlett to join her at a Paranormal Party at the Highlands Ranch Mansion. They get way more dressed up than anyone else there, take a lot of pictures, find no ghosts, and Scarlett accidentally calls Rochelle "babe." She thinks to herself, "Okay, I'm, like, pretty sure she likes me back."
After returning from a wedding in Minnesota, Rochelle joins Scarlett at Fika Coffee for some embroidery/writing. Rather than doing either of those things, they talk about weddings and everything they'd want for their own weddings. As they scroll through wedding dresses on Scarlett's laptop, Rochelle leans her head on Scarlett's shoulder. "Okay, I'm, like, pretty sure she likes me back," Scarlett thinks -- but this time she asks Rochelle on a date.
October
2021
November
2021
and became a life
Scarlett and Rochelle move into an apartment together in a part of town with a million parks to walk through. They buy mushroom-themed decor, find free furniture, and still have Scarlett's vintage 1960s tulip chair sitting in the hallway as it has no place else to go.
June
2023
Scarlett sees a picture of a little pug on the Denver Dumb Friends League website. She puts on pants and drives right to the shelter, where she meets the pug that she calls "Scrungus" and Rochelle calls "Frumpkin." Frumpkin comes home with two moms and becomes the apple of their eye, that trash-eating scamp.
July
2023
While Rochelle and Scarlett have been talking about marriage for a while, Scarlett does some completely unsubtle recon to get some ideas for the right ring to propose. After all that, she deliberately disobeys instructions and orders a ring she had custom made. She makes plans for the perfect location to propose: her own favorite place she's ever visited, Visby, Sweden.
November
2023
The ring has been hidden in the lining of Scarlett's suitcase for seven months, until she moves it to her carry on backpack for the international trip of a lifetime. On May 30, 2024, Scarlett moves the ring to her pocket. She gets on one knee in St. Karin's ruin in Visby and totally bungles the nice speech she wrote out.
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It's okay, though.
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Rochelle still said yes.
May
2024
