Zach and Kate met at the very first gathering for the Catholic Young Adult Group they're now a part of. Zach thought Kate had a boyfriend, Kate thought Zach wasn't interested, so had decided she wasn't either. It only took a couple of years to get that one straightened out! After finally hitting it off at a party, and another month of waiting for a few other things to unfold, they finally got their first date. Zach had decided to go to Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, and told Kate to order as much as she wanted because, as he told her MANY times, "I have a gift card!" Zach was so nervous for their first date he drove to Tilden (where Kate lived) an hour early to make sure he wasn't late. He thought he'd drive through town and see what Tilden had to offer. Tilden is so small, he drove through it before realizing he was there! When his exploring didn't work out, he sat in an empty bar parking lot and prayed the rosary. Kate was ready for the date about 45 minutes before Zach said he'd pick her up. Normally running late for things, she decided to write a couple Christmas cards. She couldn't even get a sentence on the page. She was too nervous and couldn't write without shaking! Well, the date ended up being fun for both of them. A guy sitting in the booth across from them even came back after leaving to tell them "Y'all are a great couple". Cue Zach clearly getting bashful again and Kate laughing at him because of it. At the end of the night, Zach pulled out his gift card to pay. The waiter then had to come back embarrassed saying the $8 on the gift card didn't cover their bill. Zach sheepishly pulled out his wallet and started counting how much cash to give the waiter. Unfortunately for him but fortunately for Kate, he started getting nervous again, then came one of her favorite parts. He started counting on his fingers, tried making several piles of cash to help him count, and then kept getting distracted because Kate would start talking to him! Once Kate and Zach got back to Tilden, they weren't ready to say good night so Kate made him tea. They hung out in her kitchen until the practicality of the work day ahead made them say good bye, but they both had smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts. Needless to say that was the first date of many, but some things just don't change. For example, Zach still uses his fingers to calculate the tip, and Kate still distracts him while he's doing it!