From high school parties to rainy 49ers tailgates, Tommy and Erica’s story was years in the making. They first crossed paths as teenagers — Erica knew Tommy as the funny, charming guy throwing legendary parties, while Tommy tried his best to get her attention with clever Facebook DM’s and nonstop jokes. At the time, the timing just never lined up. Fast forward to July 2022, when fate (and Tinder) brought them back together. The conversation picked up instantly with easy banter and nonstop laughs… until Tommy casually mentioned a few hours in that he had COVID. Erica, not exactly known for her patience, moved on and continued dating — which she quickly discovered was absolutely terrible. Just as she was about to delete Tinder and Bumble for good in November 2022, one familiar face popped up again: Tommy. She decided to give it one last shot and messaged him. His response? “This has to be a sign. Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night.” She said yes. Their first date at the Old Spaghetti Factory turned into hours of talking and laughing way too late into the night. The very next day, Erica had an extra ticket to a 49ers game and invited Tommy along. It was freezing cold, pouring rain, and Erica was determined to use her brand-new mini BBQ for the tailgate. Naturally, she handed the grilling duties off to Tommy as a test. And of course… he passed. Standing in the rain, grilling meat without complaint, Tommy officially sealed the deal. From Sunday, November 20, 2022 on, they truly never spent a day apart. Tommy effortlessly became part of Erica, Mila, and Lylah’s world — fitting into their hearts like the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. After plenty of encouragement (and persistent reminders) from his two biggest little supporters, Tommy proposed on New Year’s Eve. Erica said yes immediately, and the rest is history.