Cody and Maria first met online. They talked for a couple of weeks, hit it off, and then—like many modern love stories—they both mutually ghosted. Cody decided to take a break from dating, while Maria kept trying her luck. A few months later, Maria spotted Cody again on Hinge and instantly remembered how funny and charming he’d been. As she debated what to do, she accidentally swiped left instead of right. Oops. Not ready to let a good thing slip away twice, she decided to text him directly with the line: “Do you want to give this another shot, by taking a shot?” A couple of weeks later, they finally went on their first date - February 8, 2023 - no shots required.

Maria: Cody and I lived over an hour apart, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that seeing him only once a week—just 52 times a year—was definitely not enough. He sealed his “something special” status during a painting party for my best friend and her husband. They had just bought a house down the street and decided to invite friends over to help paint the entire thing. When we got there, everyone was standing around waiting for someone to take charge—and Cody did. He jumped right in, took Sandi’s instructions, and started assigning jobs like he’d been training for this moment his whole life. Hours (and several paint rollers) later, we celebrated our masterpiece with pizza and beer. Before we left, Cody promised he’d be back at 8 a.m. sharp to help with touch-ups. We got home around 1 a.m., and true to his word, Cody showed up ready to paint the next morning. I, on the other hand, was… slightly less ready. Let’s just say I offered moral support before rallying for the final coat.

Cody proposed on our anniversary, in the most "us" way possible—sweet, simple, and full of love. I had surprised him with a grill (not the easiest gift to hide), and he told me he needed to run out and get me something too. I wasn’t expecting much—especially with all the house projects we had going on—but when he came back, he gave me a beautiful anniversary ring. I thought that was the surprise. While he put the grill together, I got to spend the afternoon gardening and soaking up the sunshine in our backyard. Later, he sent me to the store to grab steaks and a propane tank so we could celebrate properly—but of course, the tank ended up being faulty. We laughed, called it a night, and got ready for bed. As we were winding down, Cody asked if I was going to put my ring in the jewelry box to keep it safe. Then he started playfully going through all my rings, comparing how they looked together. Out of nowhere, he said, “You’re missing a ring.” I looked down, confused—“No I’m not, they’re all here…” I turned around for a second, and when I looked back—there it was, sitting in my lap. The ring. The ring. He completely surprised me. It was quiet, heartfelt, and perfectly us.