(Michael) It was a cold, windy, snowy February day. Most people would assume this was not a good day for pickleball, but I guess we're not like most people in that regard. So there I was, bundled as best I could against the bitter cold and starting to question the choices that brought me here. Pickleballs were shattering left and right due to the plummeting temperature. That was the first day I saw her face; barely visible through the scarf and headwrap. I cordially introduced myself, and we played our first match together. Little did I know, it was the first match of many, many more to come. (Carolyn) Throughout the spring, I saw this mysterious man at various Sunday pickleball afternoons, but we rarely spoke. Slowly, every few weeks when my schedule would allow, we had brief conversations. Then, the semi annual pickleball tournament was on the horizon, and this time, I would finally be able to attend. But there was a problem: all my friends already chose their partners assuming I had to work. I considered my options, and something in the back of my head kept popping up - to ask Michael. Now you may be wondering why I would direct message someone I barely knew. If you know me, it's not that outside the box, but I felt like I should listen to that voice in my head. So I did. And wouldn't you know it, Michael responded and agreed to be my partner. (Michael) It wasn't every day a pretty lady popped up in my DMs to ask me to be their pickleball partner. In fact, it had never happened...before that day. So I knew that something special (or maybe crazy) was going on when I saw Carolyn's message. Without even a moment's hesitation, I agreed to be her pickleball partner (in crime). But we both knew, in order to stand a chance in these pickleball tournaments, we would have to develop our partnership. Somehow, we managed to meet to practice despite her busy schedule. I quickly found out how strong her competitive spirit was, but I knew we were up against steep odds. With just one day of practicing together, we managed to pull off 2 wins and an overall placement of 5th in the intermediate bracket. But, despite not ending up on the podium, I won a greater prize - a blossoming friendship. (Carolyn) After spending time getting to know each other during the tournament, I found myself wanting to spend even more time with Michael. But there was a problem: the tournament was over, and we lived on different sides of town. I figured, it worked once before, so after work one Wednesday, I texted him to see if he wanted to go hiking at Percy Warner. (Michael) Once I got that text, I could hardly wait to say yes and drive across town during rush hour to go hiking with her. On arrival, I was feeling pretty nervous because I knew this was our first time just the two of us. But the nerves quickly disappeared once we started talking. I learned more about her family, work, and faith, and I started to fall for her. (Carolyn) At this point, I was attempting (unsuccessfully) to wait patiently for Michael to make the next move. There were a couple of group events where we spent the entire time talking to just each other, but still, no date was set. My friends told me how great Michael was and to bide my time, but as you may know, this is not my strong suit. So one more fateful pickleball afternoon arrived. After getting thoroughly drenched by a sudden downpour, I invited Michael to join me and some friends to get coffee nearby. After a few hours, and some interesting discussions, we were about to part ways when...(finally) Michael asked what I was doing the next weekend. (Michael) Yes, I did in fact ask her to hang out. Although in hindsight, gentlemen, I should've used the word "date" (after it led to some slight confusion). Although I didn't have any plans in mind at the time, I had a feeling God would provide. And He did. The following week, I won tickets to the movies. And the rest is history!