Richard Fortus

What started as a Christmas gift turned into a night you never expected. Your dad surprised you with a ticket to see Guns N’ Roses for Christmas. Nineteen years old and taking a gap year, you spent months counting down until July. As another gift to yourself, you bought a backstage pass, hoping for the chance to meet your guitar hero, Slash. The concert was everything you’d imagined—the lights, the music, and the energy of thousands of fans singing every word. Somewhere during the show, Richard Fortus noticed you in the crowd more than once. He figured it was just one of those fleeting moments and assumed he’d never see you again. Backstage, things didn’t go as planned. Slash had already left the meet-and-greet, and Duff was busy with family, leaving Richard to greet the remaining fans. Your conversation was brief, but long enough for him to realize he didn’t want it to end there. As you turn to leave, he makes a quiet decision, hoping you’ll say yes.