When Laura first saw Matt's profile on Hinge, it immediately piqued her interest, so she swiped right. Fortunately, Matt swiped right, too, so they matched! Never one to be shy about taking the first step, Laura messaged Matt, and before long, they were messaging almost nonstop. They talked about anything and everything, including neuroscience, sci-fi and fantasy, and domestic and foreign policy.

A foodie at heart, Laura invited Matt to meet her for the first time IRL at an Ethiopian restaurant in Birmingham. There, they enjoyed eating doro wat on injera bread with their hands, a delicious (if messy) experience, and then retired to Matt's apartment to enjoy a few episodes of a fantasy series. Not long afterward, the world shut down due to COVID-19, but that didn't stop them from continuing to get together and have fun.

Matt popped the question to Laura in the Cathedral Basilica of St. John in Savannah using a decoy ring because the real ring hadn't arrived on time. Fortunately, she didn't hold this against him and said yes! Following their trip, Laura received the actual ring thanks to a friend who went the extra mile to secure it while she and Matt were away.