Initially, I had tried dating, but it hadn’t been very successful. One night, I met up with two close friends to brainstorm a better way to filter out people who weren’t serious about relationships. That’s when we came across the dating app Hinge. Kat first caught my attention when she “liked” one of the posts on my profile — a small gesture, but one that stood out. The night we met was completely unexpected. I hadn’t planned on going on a date and certainly hadn’t dressed for one — I was getting ready for a motorcycle ride with friends. The only person who knew there was even a possibility of a date was my riding buddy. I told him I wasn’t sure if or when it would happen — it felt more like a “maybe” than a plan. Kat called out of the blue while I was fueling up for the ride. She mentioned grabbing a bite to eat after her gym workout. I was caught off guard — standing there in full riding gear, not exactly looking date-ready. I told her to let me know when and where, and while I was out riding, the call came through. She sent me the restaurant location, and without hesitation, I jumped off the freeway, made a U-turn, and headed straight there. I actually arrived before she did. I was definitely a little nervous — we had only messaged and exchanged a few pictures. When Kat walked in, the first thing I noticed were her intense eyes and warm smile. She had a way of reading every glance, every movement. And I was surprised by her height — she’d told me how tall she was, but I guess it had slipped my mind. Inside, we talked about my motorcycle and laughed about how unplanned the whole evening was. The nerves faded quickly. There was a strange sense of comfort between us — like neither of us had anything to prove or hide. We later realized it was probably because we both came from big families; there was a kind of shared familiarity. Everything felt natural, unedited, unscripted. We ended up staying much longer than either of us had planned — nearly five hours passed without us realizing it. When we finally left, it was still dark. I walked her to her car, and we were both just... content. No tension, no awkwardness, just tired after a long, unexpectedly meaningful night. It wasn’t until later that it really hit me: I had never experienced time passing like that with someone. It felt like no more than an hour had gone by — like time had just... paused.

Oh, Hinge… what a blessing. Just days before I found Mosiah’s profile, I told my little sister, Amy, I had this gut feeling “The One” was on the way. I hadn’t met him yet, but I knew I’d recognize him when I did. After a few failed dates where the chemistry fizzled in person, I’d started to feel disillusioned. I’d been on Hinge for a couple of weeks when Mosiah’s profile popped up as “Most Compatible.” Unlike other apps, you can scroll through people who’ve already liked you or browse others yourself. As a girl, I usually wait for someone to like me first, but I was intrigued and gave him a like. The ball was in his court—thankfully, he messaged me. Not wanting to waste any more time, Mosiah and I texted for just two days before I called him and suggested we meet up. I usually went to the gym at night with my brothers, Andrew and Raymond, but that night something felt off. I couldn’t stop thinking about meeting Mosiah, so I cut my gym session short, showered quickly, and called him to see if he was still up for dinner. He said yes, and I headed to the 24-hour ramen spot in Houston I’d told him about. When I arrived, he was already there — parked on the sidewalk of all places. I’d be lying if I said his motorcycle gear didn’t make him even more attractive. I laughed when I saw where he’d parked and we walked in. That night, we talked about everything — our families, our goals, and what we both wanted out of a relationship. We were both surprisingly straightforward, and I liked that. I had made it a habit to go into dates with zero expectations so I wouldn’t get my feelings hurt, but something about him — and that gorgeous smile — was different. Five, maybe six hours went by. Time just slipped away. Eventually, I realized we should probably head out — we both had work the next day. He walked me to my car and gave me a few songs to listen to on my drive home. That same morning, I called my little sister. All I said was, “I met him.”
She knew exactly what I meant. The very next day, Mosiah messaged me and said, “We should hang out again.”
And we did — that very night. Something just clicked between us. From that moment on, it felt like we were already building something real, something lasting. We haven’t spent a day apart since.