We had both been married before, and to put it lightly, those experiences were… not great. “Traumatizing” feels like a fair word. Dating after divorce somehow managed to be even worse full of strange, chaotic, and truly unhinged moments. By the time we each downloaded the apps, we were both on our last nerve and about two seconds away from committing to a peaceful, drama-free life of being single. (Also… going out and meeting people in public? Absolutely not.) Then we matched. Lindsay’s first thought was, “Wait… he’s actually hot, doesn’t have a weird fish picture, doesn’t use gross innuendos, likes his family, loves music, and uses ‘yours’ correctly??” Obviously suspicious. And then, Massachusetts. Of course. Meanwhile, Calvin was just on vacation with his family in Massachusetts, blissfully unaware that his location was about to raise several red flags. He quickly clarified he did, in fact, live in North Carolina and was just visiting family. Lindsay, still skeptical (because… dating apps), insisted on a FaceTime call. Before that, Calvin sent a video to prove he was a real human and not a catfish which, honestly, felt like a solid move under the circumstances. When we finally FaceTimed, we talked for four and a half hours… which was either a great sign or mildly concerning. The jury was still out. Not long after, we went on our first date. When we met, Calvin was on the phone with his mom so she could make sure he was safe and that Lindsay was not a serial killer. (Meanwhile, Lindsay had already sent her location, Calvin’s profile picture, and his full name to both her mom and a friend...because obviously.) That night, we walked what felt like ten miles all around downtown New Bern, talking, laughing, and somehow avoiding every opportunity to sit down like normal people. And after that… we just never really stopped hanging out.