"Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:9)

In March of 2021, Charlie was driving back to San Diego after an 11-month deployment with the Marine Corps. While driving through the Texas Panhandle he matched with Melissa on a dating app. Melissa was living in Amarillo at that time, finishing her nursing degree. The two of them felt a deep connection and talked for several months, but their busy schedules and 1,056 miles between them was too big of an obstacle to overcome. Their conversations became less frequent and they eventually lost touch without ever meeting. A year and a half later, Melissa was finishing her emergency nursing residency in Asheville, unaware that Charlie was out of the Marine Corps living just a few towns away. Since nothing was keeping her in Asheville and she had been away from home for 5 years, Melissa decided it was time to move back to NY to be with her family. On the day Melissa was moving back to NY, Charlie spotted her at a gas station, grabbing snacks for the road. Charlie couldn't believe his eyes, was it Melissa? Then Melissa's dog, Belle, popped her head out of the car window. Recognizing the fluffy goofball from the many pictures and videos Melissa had sent, he was sure that the woman getting into that car and driving away was Melissa. Though hesitant to call after so long, Charlie felt that this was a sign and that God was answering his prayers. Moments later Melissa received a phone call from Charlie and they reconnected. Despite Melissa now living in NY, they weren’t going to let the distance come between them again. Over the next few months, Melissa drove to NC to visit Charlie, until he decided to uproot his life and move to NY to be with the woman he loves.