Just when Pesha had thought she was going to give up on finding love, she joined Jdate. It was only a matter of days when she received a wink from a hunky Eric Penchansky. The conversation flowed easily as Eric described being in Guatemala on a volunteer trip fixing machines in a local hospital. The distance was maddening, as Pesha wanted to meet this man of her dreams in real life. But she knew it was a love worth waiting for. During one busy shift working at a detox, Pesha struck up a conversation with Eric about a machine he was working on. Pesha had no idea what he was talking about- in fact she even told him so. And that’s when Pesha knew he was the one. Eric, gentle as ever, stopped what he was doing and sent Pesha a video explaining what he was doing in a simple way that Pesha could understand without making her feel less than. Once Eric returned back to the states, he asked Pesha out on a date to go bowling. Pesha won, of course, and Eric was a gentleman. Two months later, Eric said “I love you” for the first time.” Pesha knew his love was certain, and she knew her love for him was just as real. As they were out to dinner, Pesha noticed for the first time that she wasn’t anxious about the noises or people behind her. She realized she felt safe. With Eric. And because of Eric. Through the years, Pesha and Eric have had many dogs, many apartments, and many moments of growth and love.