THE LOVE STORY

THEY HAD STRANGE FIRST IMPRESSIONS WHEN THEY MET AT CAMP NORSE: SHANNON THOUGHT ROB WAS A LIFEGUARD BRO AND ROB THOUGHT SHANNON WAS 25 AND IN CHARGE. ROB WAS IN FACT A LIFEGUARD BUT NOT A BRO, AND SHANNON WAS 19 AND RUNNING THE CRAFTS PROGRAM. THEY SPENT A MAJORITY OF THAT FIRST SUMMER DISCOVERING THAT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS HAD SOME STRANGE OVERLAPS, AND THAT THE LIKELIHOOD THEY WERE AT THE SAME DANCE AT THE SAME TIME WAS HIGH–BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL (BC HIGH) AND NOTRE DAME ACADEMY (NDA) WERE SIBLING SCHOOLS SO NDA GIRLS WERE INVITED TO BC HIGH DANCES. THEY CAN'T KNOW FOR CERTAIN, BUT BASED ON FRIENDS AND INTERESTS, IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY THEY WERE IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME WITHOUT EVER MEETING.

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DURING THEIR COLLEGE YEARS, THEY SPENT SUMMERS DEVELOPING A CASUAL FRIENDSHIP. EVENTUALLY, ROB WAS PROMOTED TO AQUATICS DIRECTOR AND SHANNON TO PROGRAM DIRECTOR. THAT WAS THE SUMMER THAT THEY SPENT MORE OF THEIR FREE TIME TOGETHER. TWO EVENINGS IN PARTICULAR STAND OUT.

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THE CAMP NORSE STAFF WOULD GO ON SOME OUTINGS TOGETHER AFTER CAMP HOURS. THIS NIGHT IN PARTICULAR, SHANNON HAD REQUESTED THE EVENING OFF TO GO OUT WITH HER FRIENDS (COLLEEN GARVEY, AND ERIN AND TYLER URBANIAK) TO SEE A HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND (ABBIE JACKMAN) PERFORM IN BOSTON. SHANNON MENTIONED HER EVENING PLANS TO ROB IN THE HOPES THAT HE WOULD BE INTERESTED–AND HE WAS! THEY LIED TO GET HIM THE NIGHT OFF. WHEN THEY GOT THERE, ROB SAID HELLO TO SHANNON'S FRIENDS AND THEN WENT TO GO TO THE BAR. SHANNON AND FRIENDS ALL IMMEDIATELY PROTESTED AND GRABBED HIM A CHAIR TO JOIN THE TABLE. ROB DIDN'T WANT TO INTRUDE–BUT WHAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT SHANNON HAD BEEN TALKING TO HER FRIENDS ABOUT HIM ALL SUMMER LONG.

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IT WASN'T UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OF THAT SUMMER THAT THEY ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT BEING SOMETHING MORE THAN FRIENDS. AFTER SEEING A LUXE LEVEL SHOWING OF SUICIDE SQUAD (2016), THEY SAT ON THE HOODS OF THEIR CARS TALKING UNTIL ALMOST TWO IN THE MORNING. BEFORE THEY WENT HOME, THEY BOTH SHARED THEIR FEELINGS BUT THEY WERE ABOUT TO GO TO TWO VERY DIFFERENT PLACES: ROB TO LEHIGH UNIVERSITY IN BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA AND SHANNON TO UMASS AMHERST. THEY AGREED TO STAY IN CONTACT AND SPEND SOME TIME OVER BREAKS TOGETHER, BUT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE ANYTHING OFFICIAL.

 

LIKE THAT REALLY MATTERED–THEY SPENT ALL SEMESTER TALKING ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND SHANNON SPENT A HOLIDAY WEEKEND AT LEHIGH. OVER WINTER BREAK, SHANNON HOSTED ROB FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE. AFTER SHARING THE TRADITIONAL MIDNIGHT KISS, ROB TOLD SHANNON THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK TO LEHIGH WITHOUT MAKING THINGS OFFICIAL, AND THE REST IS HISTORY!

 

THEY'VE SHARED MAJOR MILESTONES TOGETHER, BUT ONE OF THEIR FAVORITES HAS TO BE WORKING FULL TIME FOR TWO DIFFERENT BOY SCOUT COUNCILS! THEY WERE REQUIRED TO TAKE SOME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS IN TEXAS, AND THEY WORKED IT OUT WITH THEIR SUPERVISORS TO ATTEND THE SAME ONE. THEY SPENT THE ENTIRE WEEK PRETENDING LIKE THEIR ONLY AFFILIATION WAS WORKING TOGETHER AT A SUMMER CAMP. DESPITE HOW HARD IT WAS, IT WAS GREAT FUN TO SEE THE EXPRESSIONS OF SOME OF THEIR COLLEAGUES WHEN, AFTER THE FINAL COURSE WAS OVER, THEY WALKED INTO DINNER HOLDING HANDS.

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WHEN ROB FINALLY PROPOSED TO SHANNON, IT WAS LITERAL YEARS IN THE MAKING. THEY HAD A TRIP PLANNED IN MARCH-APRIL 2023 TO DUBLIN TO SEE ROB'S BROTHER (DAVID HILLMAN) GRADUATE FROM A MASTER'S PROGRAM AT TRINITY COLLEGE  WITH STOPS ALONG THE WAY IN VENICE, NICE, AND MONACO. FROM A FAMILY TRIP YEARS AND YEARS BEFORE, ROB HAD FOUND A SMALL, HIDDEN AWAY CAMPO DEEP IN THE HEART OF VENICE THAT HE BROUGHT SHANNON TO UNDER THE GUISE OF TAKING CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTOS. THOUGH SHANNON HAD BEEN EXPECTING SOMETHING, SHE DIDN'T EXPECT A PROPOSAL AT 10AM ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIP–AND AFTERWARDS SHE COULDN'T FOCUS ON ANYTHING ELSE! 

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WHEN THEY RETURNED FROM THE TRIP, SHANNON HAD A SURPRISE FOR ROB IN RETURN. SOME TIME BEFORE THEY DISCUSSED ENGAGEMENT RINGS, SHANNON ASKED ROB WHAT HE WOULD WANT AS A PROPOSAL GIFT IF SHE WAS TO ASK HIM INSTEAD. HIS ANSWER WAS SWIFT AND DECISIVE: A SWORD. IN OCTOBER 2022, SHANNON ENLISTED THE HELP OF HER FRIEND (ABBIE) WHO WAS IN BARCELONA AT THE TIME TO PURCHASE AND SHIP HOME A SWORD FROM TOLEDO. AFTER SAYING YES IN VENICE, ONE OF SHANNON'S FIRST MESSAGES TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY WERE TO TWO FRIENDS (ERIN AND TYLER) WHO HAD A SET OF APARTMENT KEYS. WAITING FOR ROB AT HOME UPON RETURNING FROM DUBLIN WAS A SWORD, AS REQUESTED.

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THEY LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MANY WONDERFUL AND FULFILLING YEARS TOGETHER AS THEY EMBARK ON THE NEXT MAJOR MILESTONE OF THEIR LIFE!