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We met in Hammond, Louisiana. [Brooke was born and raised in Hammond, while Jenn arrived in 2010 from Mexico.] We spent our preteen and teenage years in the same schools but never crossed paths until college. It’s as if the universe patiently waited for the perfect moment. That moment came when we both worked at a local Mexican restaurant. We became instant friends and were inseparable.  

We were both in on-and-off relationships with other people, but our growing attraction eventually ended those chapters and began a new one together. In a small conservative town, that wasn’t always easy.  

We began dating in March of 2018, adopted a dog and moved in together that summer. The LGBTQ+ community was tolerated in Hammond, but not widely accepted, so we kept our relationship private for nearly two years. When we finally came out as a couple, some people embraced us wholeheartedly, while others met us with the resistance we had feared. That experience strengthened our resolve to find a community where we could live authentically, surrounded by acceptance and love. 

Brooke’s work as a nurse allowed her to travel, helping hospitals in need during the COVID pandemic. When the last contract ended, we didn’t have a next stop in mind – so we took a leap and accepted the highest-paying offer. That’s how we ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin … in January. 

The city – and its people – won us over. One weekend, we wandered into a local brunch spot and the bartender invited us to an event their wife was hosting at a local bookstore,  the launch of a zine celebrating queer professionals. That night, surrounded by kind and creative people, we felt something click. Milwaukee was where we were meant to be. 

This past March, we celebrated seven years together, and in August, we joyfully exercised our right to marriage.

The Magic Moment

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are meeting on Thursday afternoon, Mamdani said, with expected topics to include the municipal response to President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.

Frey’s office did not immediately return a message seeking comment about the meeting between the men, both Democrats who lead Blue cities.

“I look forward to getting to know him and also to speaking about the importance of protecting each one of our residents, including the immigrants who call both of our cities home,” Mamdani said on Thursday, appearing at an unrelated event at New York City Hall. The meeting is not on Mamdani’s public schedule.

So far, New York City has avoided the surge of thousands of immigration enforcement agents in the past two months that the Trump administration has unleashed in cities like Minneapolis, which has been beset by street protests, widespread unrest and the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said the enforcement surge in Minnesota was being dialed back and that Minneapolis officials had agreed to let agents detain immigrants at local jails, a claim the city had not confirmed.

Asked at the news conference, Mamdani declined to say why a similar arrangement should not be the policy in New York City.

“I am proud of our sanctuary city policies that we have. I believe that our values and our laws are not bargaining chips. They are not things for us to be ashamed of, and they are also policies that have sought and delivered on keeping New Yorkers safe over many years,” the mayor said. “I’ll let the mayor of Minneapolis speak to the policies there.”

Last year, Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, tried to return immigration agents back onto the city’s Rikers Island jail complex — from which the de Blasio administration had booted them about a decade ago — but the idea was rebuffed by a judge and never implemented.

Details of the meeting between Frey and Mamdani — such as when, where and who else would be there — were not provided.

“I look forward to hearing about that meeting and the conversation,” said the New York City Council speaker, Julie Menin.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Valentine’s Day is two days away, and flower shops across Indy are in overdrive.

News 8 stopped by to check in on the Flower Boys at Fletcher Place on Thursday morning. Co-owner Jake Smith says they were preparing for a busy Thursday, Friday, and Valentine’s Day.

Much of the holiday-ordering starts months in advance, Smith says. “This is months in the works, and all of these flowers are ordered months in advance. We’re processing it, prepping it, and putting them in boxes.”

Smith says that for the most popular holiday flowers, roses and tulips have stayed consistent fan favorites over the years. The pricing for roses has also remained the same.

For those who are wondering how to make your flowers last longer, here are Smith’s main tips: 

• Change the water frequently.
• Give the flowers fresh cuts on the stems.