Keelie does not recall the class material from that day because she spent most of the lecture staring at Brad from across the room. Later that day, Brad passed Keelie twice in the law school library. Convinced she'd never see him again and that if she did, he would never be interested in her, Keelie let him go and continued with her first year of law school. A few months later, Keelie enjoyed a few adult beverages in her friend's apartment. The summer cohort of new law students had just arrived on campus. To Keelie's surprise, the boy she locked eyes with several months ago walked into her friend's apartment. They instantly made eye contact. Brad introduced himself, and Keelie never looked back. A studious 1L eager to commit fully to the study of law, Brad politely tolerated Keelie's persistent requests to spend time together. Keelie, who is all about the long game, found ways to make Brad feel at home in Dayton - she helped decorate his apartment, framed photos of his family and friends and took him to all her favorite Dayton haunts Pretty quickly, Brad and Keelie were inseparable. If you asked either of them if they were dating, both would say, "No," but everyone knew otherwise. On March 15, 2014, Brad officially asked Keelie out while they were dancing to electronic dance music in her living room. (He knew, at that time, she had five cats, but he still asked her to be his girlfriend—Keelie was thrilled and took this as a huge win.) Brad and Keelie spent the rest of their law school careers diligently studying - and only occasionally enjoying a good time with friends. Just kidding. They studied quite a bit, but they also had a fantastic time. Keelie began bartending at Flanagan's Pub while Brad worked as a Bouncer. Brad and Keelie grew closer as they worked together and found mutual friends that became family. Working at Flanagan's remains one of Brad and Keelie's favorite memories together. Brad and Keelie graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in May 2015. Brad moved into Keelie's cat-occupied duplex, where they studied for the bar exam and began looking for jobs. Over the last decade plus, Brad and Keelie worked diligently to build their careers. During the COVID-19 shutdown, they found they were romantically and office-mate compatible, working from home out of their tiny Tipp City living room. In April 2020, they met their dog, Ace, who was being fostered by Brad's friend and paralegal. In love from the moment they met, Brad and Keelie adopted Ace - the light of their life and the best boy in the entire world. Did they talk about marriage? Absolutely. Did Keelie talk about it more than Brad? Certainly. By Spring 2023, Brad and Keelie hit independent strides in their careers - finally embracing the "dream jobs" they'd been chasing for so long. Unbeknownst to Keelie, Brad began designing engagement rings online. He finally clicked "Add to Cart" and waited for the ring to arrive. On May 20, 2023, Keelie, Brad, and Keelie's mom, Pam, headed down to Cincinnati to enjoy a Cincinnati Reds game and a belated Mother's Day dinner at Montgomery Inn. Keelie scheduled the reservation earlier than she should have - they had to leave the game early - something Keelie doesn't ever like to do. While taking the escalator to the Great American Ballpark exit, Keelie became frustrated as Brad and Pam lagged behind - whispering to each other. Once outside the stadium, Brad asked Pam to take a photo of Keelie and Brad. In a moment, Keelie can only describe as "wildly surreal," Brad got down on one knee and asked Keelie to marry him - in front of one of her favorite places in the world - Great American Ballpark. Keelie would love to tell you exactly what Brad said, but she truly blacked out and only remembers Brad pulling her toward him for a hug as she ugly sobbed and audibly screamed with joy. Strangers sitting on the patio of the local bars applauded as Pam snapped a zillion photos.