Brad's POV: The way we met is not a common tale. We met through a funny little app known as Tinder. In most scenarios, you find people on Tinder in your local area. However, against all odds, Mercedes and I found each other by maxing out both of our match distances. Had either of us not set our distance to the maximum, we wouldn’t have found each other’s profiles. After that, it was a tale as old as time. We set a time and place for our first date—although I wish I could say it went smoothly, because it did not. After picking up Mercedes, we drove around a bit to figure out what to get for lunch. Apparently, she had never eaten Chick-fil-A, so in my shock, that’s the location I chose for our first ever meal together. Everything after that turned into a bit of a disaster. My car—a busted-down Honda Civic—started to smoke and shut off abruptly. I was panicking, thinking I had ruined the entire date. To my surprise, Mercedes was incredibly chill and laid-back about the situation and offered to help however she could. So, we spent two whole hours walking to the nearest Walmart so I could buy oil and coolant. Along the way, she showed off her city skills by teaching me how to take public transportation—like the city bus and the underground metro system. The date ended with my Civic and me stranded on the side of the freeway, where the engine finally seized due to lack of oil. I had promised to call her once I got home safely, but I didn’t make it home that night. Still, I called to let her know what had happened, that I was safe, that I had loved our date, and that I would love to see her again—if she was willing. I knew she was the one when she offered to let me—a stranger by all accounts—stay the night in her dorm room. I told her I had a pickup truck and family coming to get me and that I’d be okay. I ended up selling the Civic after that night, spent a week gathering my savings, and bought a new car. Through that, we were able to experience life and go on so many adventures together—all of which you can see in our gallery of photos. Although I hated the Civic for giving me so many issues and embarrassing me in front of her, I’m happy it held out for one more drive and gave me the chance to meet my future wife. Mercedes’ POV: Everything Brad said was true. However, in classic Brad fashion, he humbly left out two details. First, during our first date, we both thought I was taller than him—which would've been devastating. This is hilarious because, for context, I’m 5'3", and he’s 5'11". What caused us to think otherwise was the fact that he had parked on a hill, and when he got out of the car to greet me, I was standing higher up. So for a moment, it looked like I towered over him. Second, during that date, Brad asked me the classic question everyone asks a college student: “What are you studying, and what do you want to do with it?” When I turned the question back on him and told him I wanted to become a lawyer, Brad’s response was what solidified it for me that he was going to be my future husband. Instead of laughing, scoffing, feeling intimidated, or doubting me, Brad simply said: “I know we just met, but I can definitely see you being a badass lawyer. I don’t know anything about it, but if I can help, let me know.” Eight years later—through a pandemic, the application process, a move to Baltimore, studying for the bar exam, and a final move to Chicago—Brad kept true to his word every step of the way. How could I not want to marry a man like that?