High School Sweet♥s
Once upon a time they were just friends... and then Patrick developed a huuuuuuggggggeeeee crush on Natalie.
It was unreciprocated, but it didn't stop him from texting her as much as his 5-cents-per-text cellphone plan would allow, and lucky for him she felt too bad to not respond.
But then over the summer, after oovoo-ing with their mutual friend Emmy they kept talking in a conversation that lasted all night, and agreed to go on a bikeride the next morning...and then the next day... and then the next day.
A month later, the relationship began officially, with Natalie asking Patrick out in front of the robotics classroom.
Justice.
TM
It stands for "Ted Mosby." When Patrick was trying to court Natalie, he decided to watch her favorite show (at the time): How I Met Your Mother. The main character Ted Mosby has a running issue of saying "I love you" too early in relationships ultimately causing their downfall. Fearing a Ted Mosby situation, Patrick came up with saying Ted Mosby or "TM" instead.
It worked, and like the relationship, it stuck.
The little robot you see everywhere is from the necklace that Patrick got Natalie for their second anniversary -- the one that started right as they began four-year long-distance at seperate colleges.
It became a symbol of their commitment to each other at a time when staying together meant seeing each other for just a few days every month.
To this day, Natalie still doesn't take it off.
The Roadtrip
As a celebration of making it through 4-years of long-distance, Natalie and Patrick decided to take a post-graduation roadtrip for 40 days across the country. It may have been the best thing they've ever done, because it was not only extremely fun, but taught them that if they could survive 40 days together cramped in a prius, a long life together would be a breeze... hopefully.
Here's a link to the website they made tracking their journey
The Engagement
On the morning of their 8 year anniversary, Patrick took Natalie on a walk to Upper Saucon Park, where they had their bikerides and first date. As they rounded a seemingly empty corner of the trail, the finest band east of all points west (the Marching 97) was waiting there playing a medley of the Lord of the Rings, Office, and How I Met Your Mother theme songs. 8 years (to the second) had passed since Natalie asked Patrick to be her boyfriend, and it was Natalie's turn to say 'yes' to being Patrick's wife.
Here's a link to the video.
COVID
It was a crisp March morning after a massive all-nighter in New York City. Natalie was on the second week of a new job and Patrick had just ridden his bike from Prospect Park to Long Island City... when they got the text that someone they had seen had been with someone positive with Coronavirus — this strange disease rattling around China that they had just spent the last 24 hours joking about lime-dipped Mexican lager in hand. Their bosses respectively told them to go home and wait for instructions. Two weeks later, the world was in lockdown, their wedding had been canceled, and they fled for Pennsylvania.
The ensuing spring was filled with some of the best and worst times of their lives. Driveway tennis. Outdoor movies. Mental Breakdowns. And secret trips to Dunkin Donuts.
By the summer, they made it back to Brooklyn and learned about the beauty of a to-go cocktail, outdoor dining (which they continued even in below freezing temperatures), and how VR might be the solution that finally got Patrick to exercise.
In January 2021, they moved to Hell's Kitchen and have since reaffirmed that if they could make it through COVID then “for better and worse… sickness and in health” would be a cake walk.
