Jessica and Jude met through her mom in 2017. While Jude was instantly enamored with her beauty, charm, grace, and kindness, which came through the first time they met, Jessica’s initial impression of Jude was that he was a nice, funny guy who would always have a place in the friend zone. As such and for various reasons, they decided for the first year or so to pursue a friendship and get to know each other better. Jude started to win Jessica over with his funny jokes and nice smile. Jessica would often bring Jude lunch/coffee when he was stressed at work, and this confirmed to Jude what a kind soul she was. Their first “real” date was at Seasons 52 in Rockville -- Memorial day weekend 2019, where Jude was so excited that she finally agreed to go out with him, that he lost his keys, forgot where he parked, forgot how to undo the parking brake, lost his wallet, and almost got a speeding ticket.

Despite Jude’s awkwardness on that first date, they continued to go out and became closer. Their relationship grew especially during the pandemic as everyone was dealing with the stress of that situation. As the pandemic unfolded, and other challenges surfaced, Jessica and Jude were there for each other and offered each other emotional support and comfort. This strengthened their relationship and bond.

While they had some ups and downs, and they did lose touch for a while, in the Spring of 2023, Jude reached out to Jessica and from that time they were inseparable. Their love grew and continues to grow daily. Jude realizes he simply cannot be apart from Jessica and she feels the same way. He proposed in 2025 and Jessica happily accepted.

When not happily enjoying time with each other - They both love spending time with their family, great food (they are big fans of Fiola Mare, Mykonos Grill, Ocean Prime, and Jewel of India), watching odd shows on streaming apps, comedy clubs, discovering new places together, and travelling.

They are looking forward to the next steps in this wonderful journey of love and companionship and are very thankful to their supportive parents, family, and friends