Our Story!Our Story!

Question

Our Story ... (Catherine's Version) ;)Our Story ... (Catherine's Version) ;)

Answer

Matt and I first met when it was too hot to play sand volleyball in August 2023. I invited the crew to come play at St. Malachy's gym, and Matt introduced himself to me there. After that, I had my sights set on Matt. I closed down my dating apps and made sure to keep an eye out for him. Matt eventually came to daily Mass at Malachy, where I made sure to intercept him and talk to him after Mass (or else he'd get away!). One evening after Tuesday Mass, he drove up to the curb as I was walking down the sidewalk and asked if I'd be on his bowling team. I said yes and he sped away without asking for my number! That night I got a DM from him through GroupMe asking for my number. :) We texted each other regularly (mostly heckling about ND vs. UConn). I asked him out to line dancing one night and he said no...then I asked him to come to St. Malachy's Country Fair. Not only did he say yes, but he asked if he could volunteer. I was so touched by his generosity that I sent him the signup. It turns out...he volunteered to park cars for almost 5 hours, and I barely saw him long enough to buy him a beer. On 10/13/23 I asked him out to swing dancing (with "a group of friends"), picked him up, bought him a drink, and made sure he only had 1 dance partner: me! When I dropped him off at home he said, "This felt like a date." (Really?!) Then he asked, "Would you like to go out on a real date?" I pulled my planner out from behind my car seat and made sure to ink in a "real date" ;) On our first date, we went to Mass. Matt wore a pink dress shirt (and Marian socks) that matched the roses he brought me. We went to the Garage in downtown Indy, where we had dinner and beer. He brought Cribbage for us to play. Even though it was my first time playing, I almost skunked him! On our 3rd date at Eagle Creek, he said he needed more time. On date #4, at Tacos & Tequila, he asked me to be his girlfriend. He proposed 10/13/24, 1 year after asking me out on a "real date" after swing dancing :)

Question

No, No, No. Here's what really happened! (Matt's Version)No, No, No. Here's what really happened! (Matt's Version)

Answer

Catherine and I first met playing pickup volleyball with a group of friends that I met shortly after moving to Indianapolis. I remember meeting Catherine and immediately thinking that she was very beautiful, so I think it must have caused me to forget her name. I did remember that she said that she worked at St. Malachy, so I was able to find her name on the parish website. Since I was still relatively new to Indianapolis, I didn't know when or how I'd see Catherine again, so I decided to start going to Mass at St. Malachy since I'd likely run into her at some point there. After Mass one day Catherine came up to me to say hi before I left. I was just glad that she remembered who I was, so without even putting much thought into it, I asked if she wanted to be on my rec league bowling team as I was driving out of the parking lot (however I was nervous and there was a car behind me so I didn't get a chance to ask for her number). Over the next few weeks, we started to build a friendship and get to know each other better. One weekend, Catherine texted me to see if I'd like to go line dancing, but I had already made plans that night so I couldn't go, however, at that point, I knew that I wanted to ask her on date when I had the chance. Shortly after that, Catherine reached out again to see if I wanted to join her and another "group" for swing dancing. This time I was free, so I said that I'd go. Since I still didn't know many people in Indy, I asked if I could carpool with her group, but the carpool ended up being just Catherine and I (so it immediately felt a little awkward and a little like a date). As we danced, I knew that I wanted to ask her on a date, assuming that the rest of the night went well (which it did). Before I got out of the car, I asked her on a date and to my relief, she said yes! Exactly one year later from asking Catherine on a date, I was nervous in a different way when I asked her to marry me while we were in Nashville, TN.