Our Story - Lucian & Ellise

The Coffee Shop Connection

July 2023

It started the way most modern love stories do - through friends, a party, and a "hey, we should get coffee sometime." In July 2023, Luc and Ellise found themselves at Ladder Coffee Roasters in downtown Spokane. He was shy and sweet. She was a little timid but easy to talk to. He taught her what a Tim Tam Slam was (crucial first date information), and when neither of them wanted the date to end, they wandered next door to The Fern plant shop, then kept walking and talking around downtown.

It was a great first date. Then... nothing. Well, not nothing exactly - just six months of occasional texts here and there. Luc wasn't sure if she was interested. Ellise wasn't sure what they were doing. But something was there.

The Long Game

One day, Luc decided to just go for it. He FaceTimed her out of the blue and asked her on another date. They went ice skating in downtown Spokane, and that's when things really started. What began as daily texts turned into phone calls, which turned into FaceTiming every single day. No labels, no pressure - just two people sharing everything and making each other laugh with inside jokes that no one else would understand.

For Ellise, these conversations became her favorite part of the day. For Luc, he started seeing Ellise's pure, kindhearted intentions and how much she genuinely cared for others.

Oh, and about that ice skating date? They had their first kiss while walking beforehand. Or tried to, anyway. They bonked heads and barely tapped lips, then didn't talk about it for the rest of the night. When they finally kissed again later, they both burst out laughing at how spectacularly awkward the first attempt had been. (Spoiler: they've gotten much better at it.)

Finding Their Rhythm

What made them work? Nothing was forced. Luc brought calm to Ellise's beautiful chaos - she's high-energy, always thinking, always doing, and he makes it okay for her to just... be. She gives him grounded perspectives and takes care of the people she loves (also: excellent baking skills, according to Luc).

Together, they're happiest outdoors - hiking, walking, kayaking, camping. She does little happy dances that make him laugh. He does weird random dances and cracks dad jokes that crack her up. When Siri announces "Cutie Baby is calling," Luc knows it's Ellise. When someone's being "stinkbutt" (their technical term for anyone acting stinky or, you know, actually creating odors), they both know exactly what that means.

One of Luc's favorite memories is surprising Ellise by taking an entire week off work to spend with her at an Airbnb by Silver Lake. Distance was turning into heart hands on FaceTime - so many heart hands that they eventually got matching tattoos of them, a permanent reminder of the love and distance they made it through together.

Deployed But Not Disconnected

Speaking of distance - when Luc deployed, it tested everything. Ellise was working two jobs and going to school. Conversations became shorter, less frequent. They couldn't talk every day like they were used to, and they started feeling themselves growing apart.

So they adapted. Every day, they'd send each other a picture and text about what they did that day. Small connections that kept them tethered when distance could make life difficult. Luc puts it simply: "The fact that we made it through that assures me that we can make it through anything that comes our way."

The Proposal (Altitude: Both Emotional and Literal)

October 16th, 2025

On October 16th, 2025, Luc had a plan. He wanted to propose on a hike but needed to keep it a surprise. He picked a trail in Billings, Montana that led to a cliff overlooking the entire city. The only problem? How to suggest the hike without Ellise catching on.

Turns out, he didn't have to. Ellise suggested the same hike herself.

Still, she knew something was off. She kept asking if he was okay because he seemed weird. He wasn't okay - he was about to propose on top of a mountain, trying to act natural while carrying a ring.

When the moment came, Ellise realized she had found someone to spend forever with. She was nervous, happy, excited, ready to see where they'd end up. Luc got to see pure excitement and tears - "a very wholesome experience," as he describes it.

What's Next

Ask Luc what he's most excited about for the wedding day, and he'll tell you: seeing Ellise in her dress. Ask what he's looking forward to most about marriage: waking up next to her every day.

Ask Ellise the same questions, and she'll tell you she can't wait to share the love she has for him with both families. And she's looking forward to knowing that at the beginning of every day and the end of every day, they're together - and they promised each other that.

They still say "interesting" to each other about everything and anything. They still say "you so cute" every morning when they wake up. And yeah, "stinkbutt" is still very much in rotation.

This is their story. The long game. The deployment. The heart hands. The promise of every morning and every night.

And it's only just beginning.