Evelyn and Rich first met on a dating website and exchanged messages for a few weeks before the conversation faded. Rich assumed she had lost interest...until her profile popped up again. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he reached out one more time… and this time she replied. They decided to meet for their first date during COVID, with Rich suggesting Hotel Baker in St. Charles. Evelyn had absolutely no idea where St. Charles was, but with some encouragement from a close friend, she agreed to go anyway. Rich showed up with roses and they spent the evening walking along the riverwalk before heading to La Mesa for dinner, where the conversation flowed easily… and Rich did a lot of the talking. The night ended a little unexpectedly when Evelyn started feeling sick and had to leave early. Rich walked her to her car and assumed the worst—that she hadn’t enjoyed the date and he’d never see her again. But later that night, she texted him saying she actually had a great time and shared her phone number. From there, things moved quickly. They went on many more dates, Evelyn met Rich’s family, and before long they both knew they had found something special. Just eleven months later, Rich proposed at Navy Pier. Since then, they’ve been busy building a life together—traveling to Santorini, exploring Costa Rica, and visiting Evelyn’s family in Puerto Rico, which Rich now loves just as much as she does. While they once dreamed of getting married in Puerto Rico on the anniversary of the day they met, they ultimately chose Chicago so their parents could celebrate with them. Now they can’t wait to celebrate their next chapter surrounded by the people they love.