Nearly every day of his high school life, Ken boarded the Market-Frankford subway line, sat next to his buddy Tim, and rode with him from Oxford Circle to 13th Street. From there, they walked to Roman Catholic High.
But one day in 1996, near the end of junior year, Tim told Ken the next morning's ride would not be so routine. "He told me he was meeting a friend of his from [John W.] Hallahan, and they would be getting on the train together," Ken said. Tim thought Ken might like her.
The next day, Ken found Tim sitting with two girls on the El. By the time the four reached 13th Street, where the boys and girls split to walk to their respective schools, Ken was hooked. But not on Jen, the blonde Tim had in mind for his friend.
"I told him I actually liked the brunette better, and that was Lauren," Ken said. "She was just really goofy. She was smiling and laughing the whole time." Just like Ken.
About a week later, Tim and Ken were hanging out and got Jen and Lauren on the phone. "I asked if she liked Led Zeppelin and the Doors," Ken said. Lauren was not only goofy, but a fan of classic rock.
"Our first date was at my parents' house on Lardner Street," Lauren said. "We hung out down the basement and watched Tommy Boy with Chris Farley. It was June 16, 1996."
They've been goofing off and rocking out together almost ever since.
Ken, who is now 31, attended LaSalle for three semesters, but decided college wasn't his thing. He earned an associate's degree in electronics from CHI trade school and went to work for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Four years later, he took his current job in the electronics department at Philadelphia International Airport.
Lauren, now 30, graduated from Temple with a degree in French and Spanish. She teaches both languages at the Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square.
In the summer of 2005, the couple bought their Port Richmond home. By then, they knew they would wed someday. Few others were convinced.
For years, family and friends frequently asked when they were going to get married. "Then a few years before we got engaged, it kind of died down," Lauren said. "A lot of people just assumed that we would be that couple that would always stay together, but not get married."
In September 2010, the couple were getting ready for a night out. Ken was in the shower. Lauren was at the sink, brushing her teeth.
"So, when do you want to go get a ring?" Ken asked. "Maybe we should get married soon?"
