We’re getting married in the Big Easy!

Craig and I met the good old-fashioned way — online. Two grown adults. Two full lives already lived. Two people very clear that we were entering our “second act” — and not here to waste anybody’s time. We matched on Bumble on a Friday. By Sunday, Craig circled back with a “hey.” (Points for persistence.) That same Sunday, I was headed to my cousin’s baby shower — which just so happened to be in his neighborhood. And because I believe in efficiency (and destiny apparently), I thought… why not meet for a drink after? Now here’s the plot twist: my Tia had always said, “You’re going to meet your husband at this baby shower.” She wasn’t wrong. She was just… slightly off on timing. Pre-Date Energy: Mimosas & Main Character Mode Hours before our 6 PM meet-up, I was at the baby shower sipping mimosas and getting hyphy on the dance floor like I didn’t have a first date later. I was living my best life. When I pulled up to the Barrelhouse, I did not expect to be nervous. But suddenly? Butterflies. So nervous that I literally overlooked parking lot across the street. We still laugh about it. The Mezcal, The Macallan & The Spark We ordered a mezcal and a Macallan and settled in. The conversation? Effortless. Life stories. Music thoughts; East Coast vs. West Coast (a very serious discussion). Where we’d been. Where we were headed. At one point, there was a simple touch to the knee. And just like that — spark. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just real. The butterflies were there, but it felt calm. Easy. Familiar. The only problem? Craig was so stoic I couldn’t read him at all. I left thinking, “He’s great… but I don’t think he liked me.” Spoiler alert: He did. A lot. Six Hours Later… Our “let’s grab a quick drink” turned into a six-hour date. We ordered empanadas. We kept talking. Neither of us checked the time. Neither of us wanted the night to end. We saw each other again… and then again… and then we just never stopped. That first date didn’t end at the Barrelhouse. It turned into phone calls, shared playlists, deep conversations, quiet moments, loud laughter, and a love that feels steady and safe. What started as one drink after a baby shower became the beginning of forever. And somehow, from mezcal and mimosas to marriage, here we are.