On August 13, 2016, Martha and Brett both happened to be at the Heart and Crown, a lively Ottawa pub made up of five bars under one roof. Martha was out with her friend Alysha and a guest from out of town, while Brett was with a big group for a going away party.

Across the crowded room, they kept catching each other’s eye. Martha decided she would be brave: walk over, say hello, maybe buy him a drink, and give him her number if the moment was right. Ever the planner, she had already written her number on a napkin, tucked safely in hand, just in case.

When she finally crossed the room and placed a hand on Brett’s shoulder, the music dropped in perfect and very unhelpful silence. Martha froze. Instead of the confident line she had rehearsed, she tossed the napkin onto the table, blurted out “This is for you,” and dashed for the exit.

Alysha, quick to follow the change of plans, leapt over a table to catch up with her as they left giggling into the night. Brett, still sitting at the table, now had a napkin in hand and a story worth telling.

A few days later, he sent a text. That napkin turned out to be the first page in a story they have been writing together ever since.

Today, Martha (from Johnville, New Brunswick) and Brett (from London, Ontario) live in Ottawa with their two cats, Mabel and Mortimer, who make every day feel like a new chapter in their adventure together.