In February of 2020, Marina moved to Mesa, AZ ready to fully embrace her #singlelife era. Determined to put herself out there, she downloaded Hinge with zero expectations — just an open mind. Jessie was also living the single life, though with far less dating experience. While Marina knew exactly what she was looking for, Jessie was cautiously stepping into the world of first dates, prepared for awkward moments and near-misses. Their first date was at a sushi restaurant. Jessie was noticeably more nervous, doing his absolute best to be a perfect gentleman. Marina, on the other hand, had loved before and recognized something different almost immediately. They decided to share a Hot Cheeto sushi roll — not exactly traditional, a little bold, and definitely unexpected. But somehow, it worked perfectly. In many ways, it felt symbolic of them: distinct on their own, but even better when brought together. They began going on several more dates after their first. Jessie became very good at filling up both of their schedules with time together. Suddenly Marina realized Jessie didn’t just check her boxes — he filled boxes she didn’t even know she should have. There was just one thing moving a little slower than expected: the first kiss. Jessie was so determined to be respectful that even as the dates continued — one, two, three, four — he kept playing it safe. By date number five, Marina decided it was time to be clear. She told him that the next time she saw him, he needed to kiss her. He did. And what started as one adventurous sushi date became the last first date of their lives. 🥰