The first thing we ever talked about was Harry Potter; a conversation in which Craig revealed that his patronus was a salmon (fun fact: he still bears the tagline "Salmon Patronus" in my phone). From there, we started texting constantly - not just sentences but paragraphs, with mutliple subtopics within. It's quite honestly a miracle that neither of us were fired based on how consumed we were with talking to each other every hour of the day. After about a week, we agreed to a date at a taco restaurant near my apartment. Mostly, I think Craig just wanted me to show him where to get good tacos, but it turned out to be one of the most important meals of our lives. Walking into Taqueria Habanero, I was just hoping that this guy I'd been obsessively texting for a week wasn't going to stand me up. I didn't expect that he would be even more handsome in person; and that was just the beginning of the surprises. Anyone who knows Craig knows that he is uncommonly thoughtful. I was shocked and impressed that he brought a trivia game for us to play, baked me cookies to take home, and, best of all, had already ordered queso for the table that was ready and waiting when I sat down. I was later informed by my brother that taking baked goods from a strange man I met on the internet wasn’t my brightest idea, but lucky for me all the cookies were full of were butterscotch chips. We shared tacos on that first date (quite the odd choice, considering the pandemic!), continued on to get gelato after dinner, and, for hours, never ran out of things to talk about. I couldn't have known in that moment that I had met my soulmate, but I knew from day one that I wanted to keep talking to him.

Cute smile? Check. Cool hobbies and interests? Double check. I was intrigued, but I needed a conversation starter – something to get us off on the right foot. When I spotted the edge of a Harry Potter poster in the background of one of her profile pictures, I knew that was my in. At last, the devastating diagnosis I’d received in middle school — Salmon Patronus — would come in handy. A few days of texting virtual novellas at each other passed, and I began to grasp just how unlikely it was that we’d found each other. Talking with her was easy. We were on the same wavelength in so many ways, from politics and religion to our very particular preferences on the application of cheese. We understood each other without really having to try. What were the odds? Of course, her bomb taco joint recommendation sealed the deal. I couldn’t let a catch like her go – at least not until she was out of amazing restaurants to recommend. And I was hypnotized by her laugh and beautiful blue eyes. Yet we also had our differences. There was conflict; I only learned months later how close she’d come to dumping me when I told her before our second date that I didn’t much care for Encanto. Harsh words were said (e.g., “I don’t like Encanto”), and bitter tears were shed (not an exaggeration), but we endured. Love carried us through that difficult trial, as it would and will many more. The foundation of our relationship was laid in those first few weeks, and since then it’s proven unshakeable. All because we chose to be open and vulnerable with each other from the outset. I knew then that if regaling her with esoteric Medieval animal lore didn’t send her running, nothing else about me would, so I took a chance. As you can see, it paid off.