Long before we ever went on a first date, the universe was clearly playing the long game. Our story technically begins at North Hunterdon High School, where we were just one year apart. Walking the same halls, sharing the same spaces, and somehow completely missing each other. We managed to graduate without realizing we’d someday be writing this story together… but fate wasn’t done trying. A few years later, we both landed at The College of New Jersey. Once again, same campus, same social circles, same general orbit, still one year apart and still not quite lining up. We talked at a party once, had mutual connections, but our paths still never fully crossed. Then came the plot twist that really sealed our destiny: we both lived in the exact same off-campus house. A 'cozy' simple place if you will, 9 Dorset. We shared the same walls, same rooms, same memories yet again, just different years. If those walls could talk, they’d probably be yelling, “You have GOT to be kidding me.” After years of near-misses and impeccable bad timing, it finally took a dating app to do what high school, college, and literal shared housing could not. One swipe, one real conversation, and suddenly everything clicked. Our first date was at the former Citi Spot, now Jimmy’s Coffee Shop. This cozy, low-key meet-up that quickly turned into hours of talking, laughing, and realizing this felt… easy. And to really seal the deal Clay, the Paulo's family dog joined us on a mid-fall walk. From there, everything just flowed. What started as a long-overdue meeting turned into something special, then something serious, and eventually something we couldn’t imagine living without. Proof that sometimes love doesn’t arrive right away, it takes the scenic route, makes a few dramatic detours, brings a dog along for good measure, and shows up exactly when it’s supposed to.