Donavon and V have technically known each other for over ten years, though like any good slow-burn story, it took time to reveal what it really was.

They met through Heather, who went searching for new friendships that involved board games right as V was branching off and building her family. V joined in as a peripheral friend between toddlers and work, while Donavon was in and out of Ottawa on posting. For many years, Victoria was “Heather’s friend,” and Donavon was “the guy she played board games with who knows all the rules.” They still laugh about attending the same Niagara Falls wedding, sharing a BNB, and only years later realizing—thanks to photographic evidence—that they had both been there and had zero memory of the other. Mostly, what’s remembered is midnight dinosaur mini-golf and Party Lee.

Many board game nights later, life shifted. Post-COVID, post-separations, and surrounded by an incredible group of friends, Donavon and V started actually getting to know each other. They fiercely debate who pursued who (spoiler alert: it was Donavon), but they agree that one night at The Hangout changed everything. V had been feeling isolated and needed laughter; Donavon was one of three friends who showed up to a last-minute group invite. A heartfelt thank-you turned into shared eye contact and the realization that they both needed that moment more than they knew.

Their first very-not-planned one-on-one was curry and Jordan Peele movies—Us and Get Out—in the name of friendship and solidarity, after Donavon had to make the difficult decision to rehome his medically complex cats. V jokingly agreed to drive to Findlay Creek (the Bermuda Triangle of Ottawa) if Donavon cooked. They talked until nearly midnight before starting the first movie, watched one, postponed the other, and accidentally scheduled their next date.

Then came a big blow. Long distance had always been in the cards, but Kingston turned into Germany. Big life decisions. V had three kids, a major career reset, university applications, and serious health scares that made the future feel fragile and uncertain. Donavon had postings and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. They chose each other anyway—choosing long flights, time zones, video calls, and a rule that they wouldn’t go more than a few months without seeing one another.

They also chose adventure. Berlin. The Black Forest. Switzerland. Austria. Spain. New Orleans. Prague. Algonquin Park. Dutton. New York. France. Holland. Istanbul. No matter where they met, the core stayed the same: shared loves of competitive board games, dinosaurs (ankylosaurus, specifically), cinema, Lego, trees, wandering cities, animals, and street art. In Berlin, inside a Cold War listening station turned artist commune, they fell in love with the work of street artist Karl Kenz. His art kept finding them across Europe, eventually leading to a friendship and an invitation to his open-air gallery in Kaiserslautern. At a time when V’s health and future felt uncertain, V commissioned a piece for Donavon—something just for them, capturing hope, love, and the life they wanted together. That was V’s “all in.”

Earlier in the year in New Orleans, over beignets and chicory coffee at Café Du Monde, Donavon told Victoria he was “all in.” He wasn’t just falling in love with her, but with the kids, the chaos, and the idea of building a life together. In Istanbul, after a strange, overwhelming, and perfect May 1st, he whispered into a very shocked Victoria’s ear, “Will you marry me?”

A week before moving home for good, Donavon chose Prague to make the promise tangible. Standing together in front of the astronomical clock, he gave Victoria a ring—intentionally choosing a place where she had stood 25 years earlier holding her mother’s hand. Though he would never meet her mom, it became a place they could share together, quietly weaving past and present into something new.

Donavon came home in August. Together, they bought a house, built a home, and became a family. From the beginning, the kids and Donavon found their rhythm. Sosa and Donavon share a quiet, easy bond. Nate loves how Donavon listens and somehow knows a little about everything—especially during their favourite part of the week: the drive home from Matilda rehearsals. Clarky adores Domynin, with dragon tea parties and books read in the sun. They call him their bonus dad. He calls them his kids. His family.

They don’t know what life will throw their way—but they know they want to adventure together. Donavon is Hobbes: long tiger stretches and quiet strength. V is the squirrel—chittering, brave, and probably climbing something she shouldn’t.