The people beside us

Philips and Tristan's friendship began at a church youth leadership conference in Washington, D.C., after Philips made a ridiculous cafeteria joke that took Tristan a moment to understand.

Not long after, Tristan reverse-engineered one of Philips's database projects, and a lifelong friendship was born.

Together, they grew from youth leaders into youth leader trainers and now share one of their most meaningful roles: serving as co-godfathers to twins Luke and Leo.

Long first knew Philips as the geeky student in a class he was teaching as a youth leader. Philips was usually playing with his yo-yo or trading cards in the down time.

When Long mentioned that he also played Magic: The Gathering when seeing Philips do this, they discovered their shared geeky-ness that eventually grew into a lasting friendship.

Years later, they served side by side as youth leaders, collaborating over great food and trips to theme parks.

Philips met Quinn in the back of the bus on the way to university after recognizing the logo of a local game store on Quinn's hoodie.

Quinn took Philips under his wing and introduced him to competitive card games, leading to countless tournaments, road trips, and practice sessions together.

They still challenge each other for the title of “King of Games,” whether they are playing Magic or just about any other game under the sun.

Eric first hosted Philips at his apartment for Philips' first major out-of-state tournament, a trip Quinn had somehow convinced him to sneak away on during college.

Their friendship began through competitive card games but became something much deeper through strategy talks, a Thanksgiving together, and Philips serving as one of the hype flower boys at Eric and Erin’s wedding alongside Quinn.

Years later, Eric and Philips still compete together, trade strategy, and remain close far beyond the game.

How Richa met the couple—and one very good story—coming soon.

How Kimberly met the couple—and one very good story—coming soon.

How Karen met the couple—and one very good story—coming soon.

How Lisa met the couple—and one very good story—coming soon.