Like many relationships of the second decade of this millennium, we first connected on Hinge. Luckily, Colleen worked within a half block of where I lived at the time so meeting up was astonishingly convenient. Besides, with a banger of an opening line like “so you’re a big sailing guy, eh?” there was no reason not to meet up in person. From the moment we sat down at a high-top table in D4, we’ve never stopped having fun together. ​On our second date, we played shuffleboard and pool at the Chicago Athletic Club and Colleen shared the motivating force of her life. I was intrigued, to say the least. Four months later, the pandemic hit. A make-it or break-it moment for any relationship, we actually got closer when we (and Courtney and Ranger) were the only people we could hang out with. ​Then Colleen’s dad passed away. ​Then Colleen got laid off. ​Then Ranger died. ​ ​But we still had each other. (And Courtney). ​Through all these tragic and stressful events, we shed a lot of tears. We laughed when we couldn’t do anything else, and we continued to grow as human beings and as each other’s support system. Our mutual love was borne of misfortune, pain, and tragedy, but to quote Ethan Hawke, “the strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire.” ​Fast forward 4 years. We’ve survived pushing scooters around warehouses, a temporary relocation to Phoenix where we had to live in a literal slum, working from home in the same room, and raising a mischievous little golden retriever. We live in a lovely little condo in Lincoln Park, we love the little rascal, and we’re thrilled to embark on this next chapter in our lives. We can’t wait to celebrate with all you scumbags.

It started with an opening line on the Hinge dating app in November 2019. Matt had a bunch of sailing pictures on his profile which was pretty different from most guys in Chicago. So naturally, my first line was "big sailing guy, eh?". I guess my profile and opener intrigued him enough to keep the conversation going. After a few days of messaging back and forth, I stepped out of my comfort zone and asked Matt for a drink. He was interesting, charming, and funny; we seemed to connect on many levels. The first few months of our relationship were easy and fun but then tragedy struck. I lost my dad unexpectedly, and Matt was so wonderful to me. He let me cry in his arms, comforted me, and listened to me. It was a lot for our first two months of dating. Then a couple of months later, the Covid-19 pandemic took over our lives. Looking back at that time, I think it brought us closer. We could connect, talk, and get to know each other without distractions. I knew very early, especially with how well he handled the loss of my dad and navigating my relationship with Courtney, that Matt was my end game. Although, it took him a little longer for that realization. We faced many challenges as a couple but have experienced wonderful achievements. We are each other's greatest support, whether it's with our careers, hobbies, athletics, friendships, or family. Fast forward 4 years, we have our modern family, living 2 blocks from Courtney while sharing our golden retriever, Lennox. We are excited about this next adventure and look forward to celebrating with the ones we love.