It all began with a swipe right. A little spark of curiosity led to a quick FaceTime call, and for a moment, it felt like something special might be there. But then, life happened, and we went two weeks without saying a word to each other. I thought it was just one of those fleeting moments that would pass. Then, out of the blue, he reaches out to me again, ever so cautiously. Those first few messages were light and easy, but something about them pulled me in. One night, we found ourselves on the phone for hours, and suddenly, everything shifted. His soft voice, his humor, the way he listened.. it all felt so natural, so right. I could feel the walls I’d put up start to come down. And then there was the bag of crickets... a moment so unexpected and silly, yet it brought us together in the most unforgettable way. That small, quirky twist became the foundation for something so much bigger; a love that’s real, deep, and endless. Looking back now, every pause, every unanticipated turn was all just leading me to him. A swipe on a screen turned into the love of my life, and I wouldn’t change a single moment of how it all began.

As a favor to a friend, I decided to join the mysterious world of online dating, strictly for the “guys perspective.” I came across her profile, and let’s just say, I was intrigued. I knew she would be a big risk so I closed the app (couldn’t say no and risk not seeing her again). The next day I saw her profile again, and again I closed the app. This went on a few more times until I gave myself a pep talk and said go for it! I sent a message, trying my best to be charming and witty (you know, the usual). Clearly my charm, smile and prize winning personality was what she was missing in her life. But hey, she was all in from the get-go. I mean, I barely hit send, and it was like she had already picked out the wedding colors! If you’ve ever met Paige you know that’s an exaggeration, but seriously, our connection was instant. We chatted, we laughed, we even talked on the phone for hours (I’m a texter) and before I knew it, I was in love. We talked every day, all day, so by time we had our first date, it felt like we’d known each other forever. She was everything I didn’t know I was looking for. But, of course, I played it cool. Fast forward to now, and here we are—writing our story, planning our future, and still laughing about how it all began (our versions vary significantly). I always joke that she fell for me first, but honestly, I think we both knew from that very first message that this was something special. After all, who wouldn’t be head over heels for someone as amazing as her?