06.13.25

On the night of January 4, 2020, after Tom Brady played his final game with the New England Patriots, Mathew went out with friends to lift their spirits. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Leslie was at Howl at the Moon, celebrating her high school best friend Megan’s younger sister and their close college friend’s birthday. Despite not feeling up to going out, Leslie was encouraged by her mother, Joan, and a few friends to put on a cute outfit and enjoy the night. Leslie believes that God often speaks through others, and that night was no exception. When she entered the bar, Megan’s friend advised her: "Leslie, if you see someone cute in this bar you walk straight up to them and say 'hi, my name is Leslie.'" Mathew, headed to the bathroom, decided to walk through the dance floor where Leslie was. Probably because of their height, Leslie caught Mathew’s eye from across the room. Mathew, with a smile, nodded her over, and Leslie followed the earlier advice from her friend, walking up to him and introducing herself (a bold move she's never made before). Before leaving her friends to say hello, Leslie mentioned to Meghan that she just needed to say hi to someone quickly. A few moments later, Mathew joined the group, and it wasn’t until much later that night Meghan realized Leslie had just met Mathew. It appeared to most people that they were old friends. From the very start, Mathew and Leslie shared a special connection, feeling as though they really had known each other for a long time and learning that they had been through similar things. They quickly discovered their paths had likely crossed before in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Leslie and Mathew have a lot of people to thank for their finding each other at the most perfect time, especially God!