It all began in September 2020. I had just moved to San Jose, and decided to give the dating apps a try — something completely new to me. Brenden’s profile was one of the first to pop up. I’ll admit… I swiped “No.” (In my defense, I was still figuring out how the apps even worked!) But fate clearly had other plans. The next day, Brenden’s profile popped up again — this time on Bumble. I decided to take it as a sign and swiped “Yes.” We matched, started chatting, and clicked right away. The following day, during a family get-together, I showed my cousins his picture and asked, “What do you think of this cute guy?” Immediately, my Kuya Reuben grabbed my phone and said, “I know him!” Of course, everyone thought he was joking. But then he said, “No really — we used to work together. He’s a good guy, you should date him!” It really helped that my cousin actually knew this person (and verified he wasn’t a catfish!) Not long after, we went on our first date — and the rest, as they say, is history.

I first came across Lauren on Hinge, and the photo that caught my eye was one of her hiking to the Hollywood sign. I remember thinking, Wow, this girl is adventurous and loves the outdoors. Fast-forward a year later, and I discovered she’s actually more of a homebody than a hiker — something that turned out to be one of my favorite surprises about her. What truly drew me in wasn’t just her smile or her sense of humor, but her heart — her strong family values, her selflessness, and her caring nature (she is a nurse practitioner, after all). The more I got to know her, the more I realized just how special she is. During the pandemic, we only got to see each other once a week, but we made every moment count. Through every challenge, Lauren’s patience and dedication never wavered, and each sacrifice she made reminded me how lucky I am to have her. Now, as we build our life together, I can honestly say it already feels like we’ve been married for years — but it’s time to make it official.