Laura had decided to give Bumble another try. Not expecting much, but she was still hopeful to find someone with a sense of humor, a love for sports, and a strong connection to family. Mark came across Laura’s profile one night after a Seattle Sea Dragon’s game and was drawn to one photo. Laura in the Husky helmet car. So he reached out and waited to see what would happen. As soon as Laura saw his profile, she knew they’d have plenty to talk about. Mark’s photos showed a guy with a big smile and an easy-going vibe. But what caught her eye most was the mention of his love for the Washington Huskies, something Laura herself proudly shared. She tapped ‘like,’ and, within minutes, Mark had messaged her. Mark enticed her to meet up for a drink by saying he had a connection to help her drive the helmet car. Their first date involved watching a Seattle Kraken playoff game.They talked about family, jobs, and sports. Both agreeing that Saturdays in the fall revolve around the Dawgs! After their first date, Mark took the advice of a friend and waited a couple days to text Laura and then smoothly “mansplained” the Kraken winning the next playoff game…even though he claims he was just bad at making conversation. A few more Kraken playoff dates later led to Mark offering to give Laura a ride home. She accepted, but only after letting her friend know Mark’s name, place of employment, and her current location…all tips she learned from hours of true crime podcasts and shows. As soon as they started driving a Taylor Swift song started playing and Mark had a quick decision to make, lie and say he wasn’t a fan, or lean into being a Swiftie. He owned up to being a big fan and Laura enthusiastically agreed she was too. Only a couple of months into dating, Laura took a trip to Italy. Texting daily, FaceTiming occasionally, and truly missing each other confirmed to both of them that this was something more than just dating. When Laura returned from her trip, they saw each other every day for the rest of the summer and then continued into fall with Husky football. That fall season was something special. Together they watched the Huskies win every game at home (they still haven’t lost at home) and make it to the National Championship. A trip to Houston to see them play for the title, a couple trips to Vegas, and countless hours spent together led to them both knowing this was meant to be. Flash forward to March of 2024 and Mark made the smartest decision of his life (and there have been lots of those!) and proposed to Laura on a Saturday night in Edmonds on the waterfront. Through it all, Mark and Laura realized that their bond went beyond just shared interests. There were the far too many coincidences of missed meetings. Whether it was both of them walking home from the UW-Cal lightning storm game through Ravenna to Green Lake. Or both of them attending the 2019 Rose Bowl. And of course, living a mere 2 blocks from each other for 8 years but never meeting. It was the way they made each other laugh, the way they supported each other’s goals, and the how they made the mundane moments feel special. Their story has been built on a foundation of friendship, fun, and a mutual love for the things that made Seattle home: family, the Huskies, Dick’s burgers, and maybe even the Mariners. Mark and Laura can’t wait to start this new chapter—this time, with a lifetime of memories waiting to be made together.