Shelby and Blake matched on Bumble in September of 2018. Unlike the story they would like everyone to believe, it was not "love at first swipe.” When it comes to flirting Blake was and remains a very reserved man and because of this Shelby thought he wasn't interested. His first few responses to her messages could’ve been considered "dry." For those born in the 1900s, "dry" is a word for when a response seems as though it is lacking interest. The conversation was in limbo for a few days until Shelby decided to give it another try. As to why, she couldn’t say. If she had to guess, she’d say that Blake seemed to pull at her, his silence speaking louder than any words could have. This time, however, Blake seemed more interested and Shelby took that and RAN with it! She quickly convinced Blake to call her. Blake, disliking phone calls and stubbornly trying to keep his habits consistent, put off the call for two whole hours. Inevitably, he caved. Shelby got her win. One six hour phone call became the beginning of a messy but fulfilling love story. They talked about everything! The connections they shared seemed to never end. At every new uttered sentence, they found similarities and shared joys, as if their two stories were becoming one, the words blurring and blending into each other to form a single paragraph. Shelby shared parts of herself she’d kept locked away for most of her life. For Blake, it felt natural to be vulnerable with Shelby, and by the time their first phone call was coming to an end Shelby knew without a shadow of doubt — but didn’t speak it — that she was going to marry Blake. Blake also knew that he loved Shelby, faults and all, by the end of that phone call. Great poets write of love at first sight, but this was a modern take on that. This was love at first call. Shelby and Blake’s new love endured the next six years. Like most new couples, their time flew and they grew together. Two breakups and a few fights couldn’t break them, but instead made them more resilient than they ever could have imagined. Together, they became something way more than a good match. They became one. They became strong. They were no longer Shelby. They were no longer Blake. They were Blake and Shelby; Shelby and Blake. Say one name and the other was and is forever implied. Since the start of their love story, Blake and Shelby have now built a house, welcomed the most beautiful baby girl into the world, and have started their journey toward marriage together. Together. Shelby and Blake.