For a while, it seemed like Mary and I were destined to almost meet. We had been talking for nearly two months before we finally managed to go on our first date. Every time we tried to schedule it, something got in the way. When I first suggested meeting up, Mary had a trip to Vegas for a family event. By the time she returned, I was the one heading to Houston to visit my family. It felt like we kept just barely missing each other. At some point, I started to wonder if this was one of those situations where the conversation is great at first, but a date never comes and things fizzle out. But I wasn’t ready to let that happen. While I was still in Houston, I sent Mary a small update from my trip, partly to share what I was up to, and partly to remind her that I was still very much looking forward to finally meeting. When I got back to Seattle, I decided that if we were going to do this first date, I wanted it to be somewhere that would make her smile. Since i got to know about how she missed her cat, I found a cat cafe in Capitol Hill and thought it would be perfect. Unfortunately, Seattle had other plans. It turned out that the weekend we had picked overlapped with one of the Taylor Swift concerts in Seattle, and the cafe was completely booked. I had tried to get tickets in advance, but everything was gone. Thankfully, Mary was kind enough to accommodate my slightly chaotic planning and agreed to meet on a weekday instead. So on July 26th, 2023, after two months of near misses, we finally met. The date itself was wonderful. But when it came time to say goodbye, Mary left right on time, and I immediately assumed she was executing a very polite exit plan. She had mentioned she needed to meet one of her best friends, Alyssa, who was in town, but in my head that sounded exactly like the kind of thing someone would say when making a getaway. We said goodbye with a slightly awkward side hug, and I started walking home replaying the evening in my head, wondering what I could have done better. Then, a little later, I got a text from Mary saying she had a really great time and would love to see me again. That message was a relief, but looking back now, it also feels like the quiet beginning of something much bigger. What started as a slightly chaotic first date at a cat cafe has since turned into a life filled with shared homes, shared plans, and of course, a crat(chicken-rat cleo) who now runs the household. And even though I didn’t realize it that evening, that first date was the start of the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I had just lost my cat Maisie a couple of months prior, and was missing her dearly. Anirudh learned this during our pre-date discussions and wanted to take me somewhere I would enjoy, so he found a cat cafe in Capitol Hill. Once there, I was thoroughly enjoying petting all the cats and worried I was neglecting conversation. That’s when I looked over and saw Anirudh in the corner of the cafe. He was attempting to pet one of the extremely friendly cats from about as far away as he could reach, but always pulling his hand away after a split second. I realized that he was afraid of cats, and after talking to him learned he had basically never interacted with them before. I was really touched that he would plan this as a first date, despite being uncomfortable around cats, just because he knew I was missing Maisie so much. This would be the first of countless moments where Anirudh would care for me more than his own comfort. I am still not sure he realizes just how meaningful it was to me that he would put himself in a room filled with his fears just because he thought it could brighten my day.(And, that too, on a first date.) Everything else on the date went splendidly and I was sad to have to leave so soon, but I had plans across town with Alyssa, who was only visiting for a couple of days. I couldn't wait to see him again and hoped he felt similarly. Three days later, I walked into Seattle Humane Society and adopted Cleo, the best cat in the world. I wondered if, when I told him, he would think of dating me as a never-ending episode of Fear Factor. Thankfully, he was brave and Cleo is kind, so now I can proudly say she has converted him to a full-time cat person. Unfortunately, for him, she has also revealed that he is allergic to cats. I'm grateful that he is up for the challenge of living with one. As our relationship has grown, he has found new ways to sprinkle a bit of joy into our days, but I am often drawn back to the memory of our first date. When I was still practically a stranger, he faced his fears and picked an outing he thought would make me feel better as I waded through grief over a dear pet. The care he has shown for me has only grown, and I am so blessed to have found such a loving partner.