They say DC is small—and given that we unknowingly crossed paths at a Halloween party nearly a year before officially meeting, we’d have to agree. Fast forward to June 2023, when Madison’s friend Dave declared she had “terrible taste in men” and insisted she break her usual pattern and give a genuinely nice guy like Kevin a chance. A rainy evening and near cancellation turned into what was supposed to be a quick drink at Chaplin’s. Well, that drink led to two and eventually an impromptu dinner at a cozy Thai spot nearby, tucked into the front window booth. Somewhere between the laughter, stories, and Kevin confidently claiming he could make a better Pad Thai (something he later proved), it became clear this wasn’t just another first date. And when Madison’s dog, Tanzie, loved Kevin just as much as she did, she knew it was something more. Turns out, the invisible string had been pulling us together all along.