The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everyone’s lives. It gave many people new perspectives and free time. Two neighbors in Chicago romantically connected during lockdown and are now man and wife.
Alex Morton and Stacie Pawlicki lived on the same floor of a high-rise building in the city. They had casually chatted in the hallways and elevators before but hectic schedules and other relationships had prevented them from going further. During lockdown, Stacie took matters into her own hands and knocked on Alex’s door with a puzzle.
Stacie and Alex’s story feels like the perfect romantic comedy script. The first time they met was when Stacie was getting a delivery. "While I was waiting for the IKEA delivery men to meet me at the elevator, a man came out of his apartment toward the elevator and said hello," Stacie recalled. "I looked over, was surprised at how good-looking he was, and immediately thought about how quickly I could escape in my sans-makeup, not-showered look."
Everything changed on March 20, 2020, the day the lockdown orders hit. Alex told Stacie he referred to her as "the cute girl that lived on his floor." This was enough to give her the courage to make a move.
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"I chalk it up to the pandemic and thinking, 'What's the worst that could happen?'" she explained. "I also had a strong intuition telling me something was there worth exploring." She showed up at his door with a puzzle and asked him to help her with it. Their first date lasted five hours.
Alex and Stacie got married in 2023 in Chicago after being together for three years. They wanted to wait to have their big bash until it was safe to do so. "It took a little while, but well worth the wait," Stacie stated.
"I think we did it exactly the way we were supposed to," Alex added. "And you can't convince me otherwise.”
Many COVID romances were not as long-lasting as Alex and Stacie’s. "It was never a COVID fling," Alex explained. He adds he knew early on "that it was the real deal."
"As the COVID shell lifted, we got really busy in our lives," Alex explained. "So it’s just been this whirlwind of really big stuff, then the engagement and wedding planning was really big." Stacie started her own business and Alex co-created a data analysis company, Actual Insight.
COVID brought them together and even impacted their engagement. The day Alex was going to propose to Stacie, she came down with COVID. Alex came up with a plan B.
Alex proposed on a trip to Los Angeles at the Griffith Observatory. "I'm like a big nerd," Alex explained. "The observatory is the perfect place for me. It's my favorite place in LA." The happy couple was supposed to meet up with friends for a fancy meal to celebrate after but were so tired they ended up at Shake Shack instead.
"It was a perfect example of me where I have these great big plans of grandeur, then it ends up at Shake Shack and you're like, ah, perfect," he mused. "And who doesn’t love a good double cheeseburger, right?"
