Samantha and Dillon found each other the old fashioned way… by swiping right on Bumble. Soon after, they began messaging each other on the app and eventually texting. After a week of texting and getting to know each other, they decided it was time to meet in person to see if this thing was actually going anywhere. On a chilly February evening in 2016, Samantha and Dillon met at Pocket Bar on the west side for their first date, right around the corner from Fountain House, where Samantha works. The two enjoyed each others company, and even had a surprise drop-in from Dillon's close friend Peter! Things were going well, so the two decided to go get a bite to eat at Gyu-Kaku, which would become a favorite of theirs. By the end of the night, the two were holdings hands as Dillon walked Samantha to the train. Fast-forward a few more dates and a couple months, and you could say "it was practically love at first swipe."

After nearly 6 years of: dating, trips to Long Beach and the Hamptons, morning hugs, vacations, 23 seasons of SVU, BONDST and TOKU trips, long-distance work travel for weeks on end, moving Milo in, moving Dillon in, a global pandemic, working from home, peloton rides, and countless of other memories, it finally happened; Dillon popped the question. Just like their first date, it was a very cold day, one of the coldest of the year: 21 degrees on January the 16th. Dillon had a perfect plan to propose: The two would walk through Central Park, pause at the Bethesda Fountain, on the terrace, and he would propose there…but he just needed the help of his cousin Caleb, to document the happening. So, Dillon told Samantha they were going to stop at his mother's apartment on the Upper East Side to grab some mail for her while she was in Florida, and then walk though the park (in the freezing cold), to go to the Museum to see a Ruth Bader Ginsburg exhibit. Then they would then visit Dillon's grandma Toni and head home. Nothing special happening, wink, wink. If Samantha did have an indication she would be getting engaged that day, a wrench was thrown in her plans when Dillon told her that his cousin Caleb was meeting them at his moms, and then would walk through the park with them. She was so confused, but went along with it. As they walked through the park the three of them, Dillon and Caleb were talking and planning. When they hit the Bethesda Terrace, Dillon suggested taking a photo for Grandma. This is where Caleb came in. He was recording the entire thing, not taking a photo! When he started the count up…"1…2…3" on 3, Dillon got down on one knee and proposed. Samantha was so excited and so was Dillon. There were bystanders who were also shocked, and even clapped! After that, everything was a blur, as the newly engaged couple had their first meal together as fiancés at Café Luxemburg. If you are wondering, they didn’t make it to the museum.