Even though Brandon and Tatum were on Hampton University’s campus at the same time from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020, life had other plans. When COVID hit, they left campus without ever crossing paths. Brandon headed back to North Carolina, and Tatum returned to Minnesota — two Hamptonians unknowingly moving farther apart before life brought them back together. After finishing his MBA at Hampton in 2021, Brandon moved to Northern Virginia. A year later, Tatum graduated from Hampton and also moved to Northern Virginia. Without realizing it, they ended up living only ten minutes apart. They passed the same exits, shopped at the same stores, and unknowingly built their lives right down the highway from each other. During her year of service with AmeriCorps, Tatum’s teammates encouraged her to try Hinge. As a true crime girl, she was very skeptical of online dating but finally decided to give it a try. On her first day on the app, she saw Brandon’s profile. He was a fellow Hamptonian, which instantly made him feel familiar and safe. She sent him a message. He replied instantly. Two days later, they went on their first date in Old Town Alexandria and everything clicked. What started as a chance swipe turned into the perfect match. The rest is history and the best part is just beginning.