There's 3 verions of this "how we met" story; T's version, G's version, and the truth (T's version). (Jk. They're both true!)

I am so serious when I say I was dangerously close to throwing in the towel on online dating. At the ripe age of 30, I was feeling like I had a pretty great life on my own, no partner needed (it's giving independent woman) when I decided to give Hinge one last try. Within a few days of downloading it, I saw a really cute guy, Gerard, had liked my profile. In true teacher style (once a teacher always a teacher), I kicked off the conversation with a REALLY cringy icebreaker. The fact that I'm sharing it here is maybe the most vulnerable thing I've ever done, but being in love makes you do crazy things. My question: "what are two of your favorite things, but they have to start with the same letter?" I know.. I know. Cringy- I warned you. After 12+ painstaking hours in which I thought I had blown it with my attempt at an icebreaker, Gerard responded, "haha I'll play along! Coffee and cocktails!". Reader... I could not have imagined a better response. We exchanged a few more brief messages and then made a plan to meet up that night for a drink. Like any single girl in the digital age, I attempted to find Gerard on social media to verify his identity and make sure he was a real person. After many fruitless attempts to find him on any of the big 3 (instagram, facebook, or twitter) platforms, I eventually stumbled upon a LinkedIn page with a babyfaced Gerard smiling back at me. I decided he was safe (and cute enough!) to meet up with so we met for drinks and the rest is history! I'm so excited for a lifetime of coffee and cocktails with the best person I know.

On the morning of July 3, 2023, Gerard opened the "Engineers and Educators" dating app on his phone to find a message from a girl named Reese. "Books + bathtubs = two of my favorite things! Tell me two of yours but they have to start with the same letter." Gerard had already commented, "luxury!" on a photo of her, which, coincidentally, was her reading a book in a bathtub. The photo was internet appropriate. His response, "coffee and cocktails" led to them quickly setting up a date for that evening. They met for drinks at BBC in Greenville, DE. For those reading this, Gerard let Teresa choose the date location; he does not recommend BBC for drinks. He let her know this during the date because he was still learning how to talk to girls. Despite this, the conversation was fun and easy, each of them finding they could make the other laugh. Gerard learned that Teresa had attended the University of Delaware. Teresa learned that Gerard only looked at her pictures, because otherwise, he would have known that she attended the University of Delaware from her dating profile. At one point, Teresa mentioned her family held a Powerpoint night to decide the location for the upcoming family trip. Teresa's presentation was Mean Girls themed and argued for the South of France, probably someplace Nice. Gerard looks back on this moment as the point which solidified she was going to be special. They saw each other two more times that week. The next day, Teresa gave Gerard a tour of Kennett Square - all the hottest spots - Philter, Anson B. Nixon park, Lily's. On Thursday, Gerard gave Teresa a tour of Wilmington, DE - all the hottest spots - Rockford Park, the Delaware Art Museum, Hummingbird to Mars (a drink place Gerard would recommend). By Thursday night, over drinks and pizza at Hummingbird, they made the relationship official. Teresa is bubbly, outgoing, and generous. She helps pull Gerard out of his routines and expand his social commitments to more than just one weekend a month. Gerard is hilarious, funny, and budget conscious. He helps Teresa keep track of her hair,-nails,-and clothes,-spending. Gerard may still be learning how to talk to girls. He may still sometimes say "you look fine." when Teresa asks, "how do I look?". But he's incredibly fortunate to have found the woman he loves and excited to spend his life learning with her.