Two imperfect people’s lives crossed paths in the most modern way possible—an online dating app. (Yep… Hinge to be exact.) If you’ve ever spent time swiping, you know the dating world can feel exhausting. After years of failed attempts and near-misses, both of us were reaching that point where giving up felt tempting. It often felt like everyone had already been met, matched, or missed. However, one day in January, I opened Hinge and came across a picture of Cody—and everything changed. He had already liked one of my photos, so I liked his back to “match.” I’ll be honest… I ALMOST swiped left. From his skimpy profile, it was pretty clear that our interests might not line up. He was a head basketball coach, and nearly everything on his profile was sports-related. Meanwhile, I am the most uncoordinated person you’ll ever meet and know next to nothing about sports. “What in the world would we even talk about? But I swiped right anyway. I figured, What could it hurt? What are the chances this actually goes anywhere? Even though I had my doubts, one look at his photos told me the truth—I thought he was incredibly handsome. But more than that, it was his smile that caught me. It was genuine, warm, and somehow jumped right off the screen—the kind of smile that just feels kind. Once we started talking, it didn’t take long to realize how easy everything felt. Our conversations flowed effortlessly, and I found myself smiling and laughing nonstop. Within a few days, we exchanged numbers so we could text “for real,” and not long after that, we decided to meet in person. Being the kind gentleman he is, Cody told me to pick anywhere I wanted to go. I chose Hustle & Dough Café in downtown Memphis—a cozy, laid-back coffee shop with great music and the best coffee (I’m obsessed). What I didn’t know at the time was that Cody absolutely hates coffee. The smell, the taste… all of it. But he never mentioned it. He simply said, “Sounds great,” rearranged his basketball practice schedule so it would work with when I could get a babysitter for Cali, and told me he couldn’t wait to see me. From the moment we sat down together, I felt completely myself. So much so that about 15 minutes into our first date, I somehow launched into spilling an embarrassing story about myself—and just kept rambling. Instead of being awkward, it felt comfortable. Safe. Easy. Like we’d known each other far longer than one coffee date. Looking back, our early conversations say so much about who we are. We talked about everything—family, faith, work, coaching, parenting, grocery store hatred, coffee (ironically), dreams, and how much we both value home, comfort, and showing up for the people we love. Somewhere between cracking jokes, agreeing that Instacart and door dash are gifts from above, and texting “Good morning” every single day, something real was quietly growing. A year after that very first message, our story has become something truly special. What started as a simple swipe turned into a love built on patience, honesty, laughter, and God’s perfect timing. Our relationship grew in the small, everyday moments—choosing each other daily, supporting one another fully, and becoming best friends along the way. We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders, steady support, and safe place. I truly couldn’t imagine doing life without him, and I feel incredibly blessed that our paths crossed when they did—right when they were meant to. It’s giving “plot twist nobody saw coming, but it works perfectly.” Also, let’s be real: God clearly has a sense of humor and loves pairing opposites. I bring balance. He brings the coordination. Together we’re a full team — strengths covered on all sides. And honestly? Watching us together is probably pretty entertaining. He’s pure athletic precision. I’m the one tripping over nothing — but still landing exactly where I’m meant to be. And to think… it all started with a swipe and a cup of coffee he didn’t even like. 🤍