Let's celebrate

Zoe and Sean matched on Hinge in March of 2022. At the time, Sean was traveling, so they could only talk by text. Two weeks of silly banter ensued, prompted by Zoe’s grilled cheese & broccoli sandwich recommendation, which Sean thought utterly ridiculous, but amusing (and later delicious). The countdown was on for their first date... Sean’s romantic date itinerary - a sunset walk along Shilshole Bay - sounded great until a torrential downpour forced him to pivot. Instead, they re-routed to two of his favorites: Kiss Cafe, followed by the world’s worst pool game at Sloop Tavern. The night started at Kiss and ended … with a kiss. They had three more dates within the next week, talking nonstop in between. The next few months included meeting each other’s Seattle communities, with friend trips to Chelan and Idaho. Comparing notes on their decade-plus time in Seattle made it feel like the two had been orbiting each other for years. They had attended the same Halloween party eight years earlier, gone to the same concerts, and shared a dedication to discovering the best East Coast-style delis around Seattle. Before long, each was being introduced to the others’ families; Sean met Faith and the two family dogs, Jasper and Winnie, in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood. And later taking a trip to the Adirondacks to spend time with Todd, Fran & Zan. Over the summer, Sean met Allegra during a Seattle dining escapade that left everyone in clam juice with an absurd story to tell. Zoe, on the other hand, was thrown into the deep end by agreeing to stay with Sean, two of his siblings, and five young nieces and nephews in a small Airbnb on Cape Cod. Within six hours of arriving on The Cape, she was introduced to the best lobster roll of all time, followed by Ed & Melissa, all five of Sean’s siblings (Maureen, Eddie, Michael, Cait, Bobby) and a brigade of Sean’s aunts, uncles, and cousins at the annual 4th of July 'Bash by the Bay' Party. Zoe met Nanci and Steve soon after that, and she couldn’t resist the urge to tell Nanci how much she cared about Sean, leaving them both teary-eyed. The meeting of friends and family came fast, but also just felt right. It was apparent to both Zoe and Sean that something special was beginning.