We are spending forever together!

Back when I was growing my business, my incredible mentor Maxine - basically my fairy godmother in sensible shoes - told me I needed a real firm to help me grow. She said, “Mike is your guy. His firm will help you build the foundation for real growth.” So in 2017, I went to meet this mysterious financial wizard… and instead found a man who was kind, thoughtful, calm, deeply knowledgeable, & somehow willing to take on a client whose company was still in the “scrappy dream with freezer burn” stage. Clementine’s Ice Cream became a client, and Mike became my CPA. Over the years, he leveled up from CPA, to trusted advisor, to fractional CFO, to the person who basically knew everything about my business except where I hid emergency chocolate. Our professional relationship turned into a friendship built on trust, respect, & the comforting knowledge that if I accidentally did something financially chaotic, Mike would help me fix it without judging me too much. At the time, Mike was married to Diane, and I was in a long-term relationship, so everything stayed firmly in the “professional friends” category. I always thought he was just… a really good human. Kind. Steady. Integrity for days. The kind of person you’d trust with your company, your secrets, or your last scoop of ice cream. Then sadly in 2020, Diane lost her battle with cancer. It broke my heart for him. I remember telling my ex that we needed to take Mike to dinner every month so he wouldn’t be lonely — because when you lose your spouse, people surround you at first… and then life moves on, and that’s when the quiet gets loud. So we kept inviting him out. Business dinners. Friendly dinners. “Let’s make sure Mike eats vegetables” dinners. I liked him so much, in fact, that when he was ready to date again, I took it upon myself to play matchmaker. I tried to set him up with every single woman I knew. Because he was a catch. A total catch. The deluxe, limited-edition, high-integrity, emotionally intelligent model. Anyway, life went on. We kept having our monthly dinners — business, friendship, normal things. Then my own relationship ended, and suddenly I found myself single… with extra time… and a very familiar dinner companion. In early 2023, one night at dinner, in the middle of perfectly normal conversation, he casually asked if I was ready to start dating. I said yes. I was excited, optimistic, ready for a new chapter. He said, “That’s great… because I’m interested.” Stumped & curious, I said, “Interested in what?” He said very calmly said “You! Silly woman. I’m interested in you. I’d like to take you out.” Now, I am not someone who is easily speechless. But in that moment, my brain completely blanked. Because it had literally never occurred to me to think of Mike that way. Friend? Yes. Trusted advisor? Absolutely. Person who knows too much about my finances? Definitely. Romantic possibility? Apparently my brain had filed that under “not applicable.” After a long pause, I said, “Well… aren’t we out to dinner right now?” He nodded. So, I said, “Then let’s consider this our 1st date.” Just like that, my CPA became my boyfriend. The funny thing is, our relationship moved quickly — not because it was rushed, but because we realized we already knew each other so deeply. We’d spent years building trust, respect, friendship, the kind of foundation most couples spend decades trying to create. Within months, we were wildly in love. The kind of love that feels both exciting & unbelievably peaceful at the same time. Every day, we choose each other. And every day, we feel grateful for a second chance at love — the kind people say doesn’t happen very often, especially later in life. But sometimes… love doesn’t arrive with fireworks or dramatic music. Sometimes it shows up with a calculator, excellent business advice, and the opportunity that turns into the perfect moment.