How it started: like all the best modern love stories—on Bumble. Now, Esther claims she’s tech-savvy, but her first message said otherwise: she accidentally sent Sam a KFC meme with tiny chicken nuggets jumping out of a bucket shouting, “What’s poppin’?" Mortified, she thought she’d blown it before it even began. Sam? He was impressed—because hey, that was a never-before-seen approach. It took over a month to finally meet in person, but in the meantime, they talked every single day. When the first date finally happened—at Thirsty Lion, of course—it felt like catching up with an old friend. And from that point on, that was that. By date two, Esther was already getting the full Birnbach experience—Sam tried to convince her not to come to his sister Maggie’s holiday party, warning her “it’s a lot.” But Esther showed up anyway… and clearly, it was the right move. Over the next four years, there’s been countless FaceTimes with family, friends becoming family, get-togethers, celebrations, and lots of loving on their sweet dog, Duke. There have been joyful highs, hard times, and everything in between—but always, together. They’ve built something steady, warm, and full of laughter—the kind of love that feels like home. So here’s to forever: To lots of Lions wins, to family, to belly laughs, to growing our own tribe, and to fiercely loving everyone in our past, present, and future.