Erin and Alex first met at the SMU pool after they both coincidentally moved back/to Dallas in 2021. Naturally, they caught each other's attention, and a friendship slowly blossomed through chance meetings at swim practices. They stood out to one another given their age on the Master’s team; both shared a love for the sport; and both had the impression that the other was very highly valued by the people around them. In 2023, things really clicked. Erin reached out to Alex, hoping to blow off some stress by joining him on a walk with his puppy, Gemma. Unfortunately for Gemma, that walk never happened. Instead, their evening turned into a stroll through the SMU campus, filled with Erin’s favorite spots. After, they spent hours till midnight chatting in Erin’s car, and from that night on, the conversations never stopped. Their first official date on June 5, 2023, was at a circus gym—wild and perfect. Much like their late-night talks, their adventures continued to unfold effortlessly, as if something was pulling them together. It was clear they had each found someone very special :)