We matched on Tinder in July 2021. EJ was in Houston visiting family, and Mike was so close to deleting the app altogether. Call it fate, timing, or the algorithm finally doing its job. For our first date, we agreed to meet for lunch at Local Foods in the Houston Heights. EJ went to the wrong location (a bold strategy), and Mike very nearly left. But patience won out, and thank goodness, because that almost-missed lunch turned into something much bigger. The next three years were spent doing that whole long-distance thing. EJ was in San Diego with the Navy, and Mike was in Houston (when not traveling the country for IKEA). There were flights, time zones, and way too many FaceTime calls, but we made it work. In 2024, the Navy brought EJ back to Texas…sort of. San Antonio was as close as Uncle Sam could get him. Mike took the leap and moved there too, and for the first time, we were in the same place at the same time (we highly recommend it). Then on July 13, 2025, during a walk through a beautiful garden courtyard near the San Antonio River Walk, EJ got down on one knee. Mike, for once, was speechless, and obviously said yes. And now here we are! We are so excited to celebrate with the people who’ve supported us, laughed with us, and watched this whole thing unfold (from near or far). We can’t wait to say “I do” with you by our side.