Her: We met on a dating app in 2021, the year I moved to Sacramento after living in the Bay Area for 10 years. I had just gotten into a grad program at Sac State and also wanted to live with my parents in their new house. Originally hesitant about online dating, I thought I’d give it a try. Patrick’s profile stood out to me because he seemed sweet, genuine, funny, and family-oriented. After a few texts (about water policy of all things!) we decided to grab beers at Kupros in late April. And this is so cliché, but after our first conversation, I knew I had met someone special. Patrick is all the things I just mentioned but also interesting to talk to, a delight to be around, and just an overall solid guy with great character. Truly a catch! I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him that evening so I tricked him into staying out longer than he planned. I told him I was too tipsy to drive (I was!) and he ended up having dinner with me so I could be good to drive again. After that, I looked forward to each and every one of our dates. The worst of COVID had just passed and the world was sort of opening up again, so it felt like I was experiencing a whole new world and a new city with him by my side. He was fun, reassuring, and I always only had positive things to say about him. He was the real deal. All my prayers to meet “the one” were answered when Patrick came into my life. *weep weep* Him: On April 21, 2021, I arrived at Kupros 7 minutes earlier than Tish and I planned so I could get us a table and buy the first drinks. To my surprise, Tish was already sitting in the third booth on the left, facing the door, looking more beautiful than her pictures, and already halfway through her first pint. She likes to remind me that I did not buy her the first drink. I like to remind her that she did not allow me the opportunity. Do I remember what we talked about? No, not really, but I can still feel the way it made my heart race. Surely, it included dogs and ducks, life goals and family. She told me about her obsession with indie music. I did not tell her about my love of progressive metal, that would, strategically, be divulged later. She told me about her Filipino heritage. I told her about the time I tried balut. We decided that story should be used to curry favor with her parents for when I first met them. Two years later I was eating balut with her father in Mactan. Tish did not partake. There are a lot of reasons why Tish and I are in love, but it is our ability to compromise that will make our marriage great. For example, I’ve promised to be more open about my feelings, and she’s promised not to adorn our home with feelings-based decorations. “Live, laugh, love” that sort of thing. Exactly two years after we met, on April 21, 2023, I asked Tish to be my wife.