We matched on Hinge in January 2024, and from the start, it felt like fate. We shared the same job in senior assisted living — down to the exact role and area — and the connection was instant. Matthew “liked” me first, and I wasted no time liking him back. Messages flowed easily, and I even asked him out that same day — totally out of character! We planned to meet that Saturday, but I tested positive for Covid that morning. I sent Matthew a photo of the test (just to prove I wasn’t ghosting!), and instead of postponing our connection, we spent the next ten days talking nonstop — texting all day and sharing long phone calls late into the night. By the time we finally met in person on February 4th, we already felt like we knew each other. Our first date started late — both of us running behind, in perfect sync — and lasted the whole day. Starting at 11am, we wandered the Mall of America, discovered funny coincidences (including a shared former boss), had dinner at Rainforest Café, and capped it off with bowling, with Matthew returning me home by 11pm. One date turned into an entire day together, and we didn’t want it to end. From then on, we were inseparable. Matthew took me out the very next night, and again the night after that. What started with a simple “like” turned into the love of a lifetime. We will both tell you that our first date was when we both knew that we had found our person.