I met Isabella Favazza for the first time on some forgotten date in 2015. We were both studying at Goucher College, and I had a little apartment near campus. As I came back from class one day, I came home to some friends sitting in my living room drinking beers. College- right? We had a party planned that night so I wasn't surprised. I'd expected to see some friends pre-gaming. What I hadn't expected was what I saw when I turned around: Isabella stood in my generally unkept kitchen and had a pot of something boiling.

"Who exactly are you?" was my only thought. I think I probably blurted out something similar. Isabella, in her usual style that I would come to love, began to try and explain herself. "I was invited! I just wanted to make sure I could bring something to the party! I hope this is alright!"

Frankly, it wasn't alright- it was pretty weird to come home to a complete stranger cooking in my house. That said, the family- recipe Chicken Tortilla Soup she was making turned out to be pretty good - so I let it slide. I would see Isabella around school and the occasional party but we never really knew each other as more than acquaintances until one fateful day in the library.

Goucher's Library, the Athenaeum (or "the Ath" to most of the student body) was recently renovated when Isabella and I went to Goucher and it served as both a nexus of study and a hangout spot. One day in 2017, late November, as I sat studying Isabella walked by. It had been months since we'd last seen each other and we bonded over our recent study abroad experiences in Costa Rica. We made plans for what would be our first date at a local breakfast place and, as she turned to walk away, I remember she turned back and smiled at me. "Huh, she might be into me" I thought.

I think I can say now that I was right.

Well, obviously I was in to Gabe. How could I not be? A handsome dude with an incredible mind who was curious about everything. Eventually, after a few dates, I even asked if he wanted to meet my parents in Massachusetts. He agreed and we had a great few days together. My father even told him a dirty joke that seemed to solidify that he liked my parents and they liked him too. And boy, did I like him.

If asked to describe the most tangible mementos of our relationship, I would have to say our pets have been a consistent expression of our love for one another. We adopted our first pet 6 months into dating.

At the time, it seemed like a far-fetched idea: introducing the responsibility of caring for a living creature into a new, and somewhat delicate, relationship. And, if I’m being honest, I have usually been the idea person behind each pet adoption. However, Gabe has time and again matched my enthusiasm for animals. And, in the instance of adopting our first pet, we ended up with Penelope the hamster. Despite weighing a quarter of a pound, Gabe and I doted on Penelope like she was the freakin’ queen of England. We built her a 2-story cage, we bought her every type of treat, vegetable and piece of fruit she could have possibly desired, and we even invested in building blocks so she could grow her curiosity and explore different mazes. For a creature so small and seemingly insignificant to the rest of the world, Penelope provided the foundation for Gabe and me to build our relationship.

As the years have gone on, Gabe and I have increased our capacity to care for one another and the amount of tiny, furry creatures we live with. Today, we have 4 ferrets: Louis, Blueberry, Franklin and Freya; and 2 cats: Samson and Lyra. Of our 6 pets, Louis and Blueberry were adopted with intention; we wanted to expand our animal family and for our pets to experience companionship. For the other 4, Franklin, Freya, Samson and Lyra, they came into our family after experiencing abandonment and neglect. Gabe probably thought I was crazy every time I suggested we adopt another animal. And yet, every single time, Gabe responded with compassion and love, transforming our apartment into a safe space and a home.

I remember when we first found Samson as a kitten, he was 6 weeks old and there was one time when I was holding him in the palm of my hands. He was so little and cute, and I called for Gabe from the other room to come see him. Gabe immediately ran towards me screaming “CAT” at the top of his lungs. Samson, being a tiny kitten, became so overwhelmed that all his claws came out and he scratched my hands until they bled. I dropped him on the floor, he scampered off, and I yelled at Gabe for 15 minutes as he helped me to wash and bandage my hands.

At its worst, caring for 6 pets has been stressful, frustrating, and sometimes even a little dangerous. But, at its best, which is most days, Gabe and I have many wonderful and funny memories of each of our pets growing up and learning to love us and each other. Gabe may have known almost immediately that I had a thing for him, but for me I see his love being affirmed every single day because of how much time and effort he puts into caring for our home and our furry family.