It all started back in 2018. Irina had just begun her first job out of law school, which was a fellowship with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Within the first two weeks of starting that job, Irina's section was moved from their government office building to a satellite office in the Old Ebbitt Building. There, Irina shared an office with a friend who had started the fellowship a year before her and who was in Pete's fellowship class. When Pete, whose section had also been ousted to the Old Ebbitt Building, came to say hi to his friend, he met Irina as well. Slowly, Irina and Pete became friends. They spoke nearly every day in the office and began spending time going to trivia and happy hours with their office crew. Eventually, Pete worked the courage up to ask Irina out on a date and the rest is history. The couple currently live in Washington, D.C. with their beloved cat, Hamilton.