The start of a relationship can come in many forms. These days, love often begins with a swipe or a carefully crafted profile. It’s a numbers game—swipe, scroll, repeat, and hope you get lucky enough to find the right person. And while many beautiful relationships are born out of an online connection, that’s not where our story begins. Our story starts with a sentence that is less and less common nowadays: “I might have someone for you.” Neither of us had been particularly eager for a blindish setup. I (Javier) wasn’t sold on the idea, and Teresa had her own reservations. But with a little convincing, we decided to give it a shot. The first step was exchanging a few text messages. True to form, I broke the ice with a poor attempt at humor: terrible dad jokes—one after another. Luckily, Teresa was into it because she stuck around for more. After some texting we set up a date – meeting for a drink in Montlcair, NJ. I vividly remember the moment she walked into De Novo—her beauty instantly froze me in place, as did the quiet feeling deep in my gut that this might just be something special. I think we both knew that night what we had found in each other – a lifelong partner. We found joy in the small things—hiking together, experimenting with new recipes, playing games, binging reality TV, or hitting the beach on lazy weekends. Whether it was sweating it out at the gym or sitting down to talk about life over dinner, we simply loved spending time together. We’ve bonded over shared values, like our belief in growth and the importance of family and friends, but it’s often our differences that bring balance. Where I am steady and deliberate, Teresa is fast-paced and spontaneous. Where one is bold, the other is reflective. Together, we’ve learned how to embrace those differences and find strength in them. What makes our relationship work isn’t a grand romantic gesture or a perfect compatibility score—it’s the little things. It’s tagging each other in ridiculous memes or sending a reel that makes us think. It’s surprising each other with a favorite snack or a Diet Coke after a long day. It’s a subtle neck rub, a shared laugh, or the quiet resolve to be there for each other, no matter what. It wasn’t the swipe of a finger or a calculated algorithm; it wasn’t a scene out your favorite rom-com, but it was a leap of faith, encouraged by someone who saw something before we did. Sometimes, the best love stories come when you aren’t looking or expecting them at all. And for us, that’s what makes it so special — so, if Stephanie Mahoney says she has someone for you, hear her out. We did.