J & Q

Jacob Sanders had just about given up on love. After a few too many swipes, awkward conversations, and dates that felt more like job interviews, he tossed his hopes to the digital winds one last time—just to say he tried. Then she appeared. Nhu Quynh Do didn’t just message back—she responded with light, with curiosity, and eventually, with coordinates to a first date that neither of them would ever forget. Now, there are many ways people fall in love. For Jacob, it happened somewhere between a pounding heart and a nosebleed. Yes—an actual, real-life nosebleed on their first date. There he was, flustered and embarrassed, and there she was, calmly handing him what she confidently called a “napkin.” It was toilet paper. But in that moment, all Jacob saw was care. And he thought, "Wow… she’s pure, unfiltered, and kind." Nhu Quynh saw something in Jacob too. Maybe it was the way he looked at her with honest eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that he didn’t just say he respected her values—he drove 250 miles round trip every weekend to attend church with her. Every. Single. Weekend. That’s 250 miles of love, faith, and probably some very tired tires. But distance wasn’t the only thing Jacob was willing to cross. He also journeyed into the world of chopsticks, Vietnamese cuisine, and suspiciously squishy seafood. What began with confusion turned into skill—Jacob can now pick up anything from noodles to shrimp like a pro. Every week became a rhythm: miles of road, shared meals, quiet prayers, and long hugs at the end of the day. The kind of love that’s built not just on grand gestures, but on little things—like learning to pronounce "phở" correctly, or choosing to sit side by side during a sermon. And somewhere in that beautiful mess of long drives, spicy dishes, and bleeding noses, two hearts decided they were home. Now, Jacob and Nhu Quynh are engaged, proving that love doesn’t always come when you’re looking. Sometimes, it walks in holding a roll of toilet paper and calling it a napkin. And that, my friends, is the kind of love that lasts.