The seeds of this love were sowed long ago at Riverview Elementary in Durango, CO. Back in 1995, Drew and Eric were just two kids on the playground of life. Little did they know when they crossed paths in the same fifth grade class that they would reconnect and cultivate a deeply fulfilling relationship twenty-six years later. After fifth grade, Drew and Eric went to different middle schools, and after seventh grade Drew and her family moved back to Granby, CO. Drew explored Oregon for a couple of years after high school and then spent fourteen years in Montana. Eric left Durango for five years to attend college in Gunnison, CO before returning to his hometown in 2008. To his surprise Eric’s “summer job” at Hillcrest Golf Course, which was just something to do while he charted the next leg of his journey, evolved into a career for fifteen years and counting. Meanwhile, Drew’s parents, Bonnie and Jeff, moved back to Durango in 2009. There they got to know Eric’s mom, Chris, in typical small-town fashion. They connected through overlapping social circles and began attending the same weekly yoga class. Cue Drew finding her way back to Durango in the spring of 2018 and eventually becoming the new office manager for Chris’s doctor in 2020. What Drew didn't realize was that she immediately caught Chris’s eye as a potential match for her son…and Chris noticed that Drew shared the same last name as her yoga friends. How fortuitous! Fast forward to the first in-person yoga class since the pandemic began. Chris tactfully inquired about Drew’s “status” and if she was available. Bonnie expressed Drew had just been through a tough breakup and was in no rush to date again. Chris commiserated that it was the same for Eric; broken-hearted and not interested. That didn’t phase these two determined mothers though, and they decided to go ahead and help the stars align for the two soon-to-be lovebirds. After hearing about these matchmaking intentions, Eric was resistant, and Drew was amused. So, when Chris just so happened to find a reason to stop by the doctor’s office to drop something off, Drew thought “what the heck” and scribbled her number on a post-it note. She told Chris she was always open to meeting a new friend. It took a few days, but Eric worked up the courage to send the first text. They related over the shared awkwardness of the situation and the cuteness of their moms, and after a couple of days decided they might as well meet. What did they have to lose? Their first date was on June 9th, 2021, at Oxbow nature park just north of Durango. A few minutes into their walk, they realized the vague sense of familiarity connected back to Ms. Hibbard’s class. It helped explain the feeling of an old bond and the comfort they felt with each other from the moment they met. The two spent the next four hours walking the trails and sitting by the river, talking easily and openly about their lives. Then of course they each called their mothers on the drive home, excitedly thanking them for the fateful pairing. After that evening the bond only grew stronger. Drew and Eric saw each other every day and quickly fell in love. Drew even found that Eric had signed her fifth-grade yearbook! They were fast to realize their connection was unique and strong. And their relationship steadily grew into a mature and honest partnership that has gained momentum with each passing day. A year later, they moved into Eric’s childhood home, which Chris had been renting out and was happy to offer to the couple who were living proof of her excellent instincts. Drew and Eric have been happily cohabiting ever since, pouring their passion for nature and for food into their extensive garden while putting down strong roots with each other. Today, thirty years after their playground antics and four years after that fateful first date, their love is in full bloom. Drew and Eric are thrilled to share that love with their friends and family in a joyful celebration!