One quiet January afternoon in the year 2021, Jeff decided to open up Bumble and take a few swipes at finding love. Being the shy type that he is, Jeff would never think of striking up a conversation at a bar or a friends party, not to mention we were smack dab in the middle of a worldwide pandemic that kept people inside their homes and socially distanced in public. A few swipes in, he comes across a beautiful woman by the name of Andrea. Jeff takes a swipe through her profile, carefully reading her answers to the questions on her page and admiring her photos. He takes a chance and swipes right... IT'S A MATCH!

Side note for anyone that doesn't know how Bumble works:

Like most dating apps, Bumble involves swiping left or right on profiles. A right swipe means yes, left means no. If you swipe right on someone who swiped right on you, you have yourself a match and can then begin a conversation with each other. What separates Bumble from the rest is their requirement that the women must start the conversation within 24 hours, or the match goes away.

Now back to the story...

Andrea gets a notification on her phone that she has a new match! It is now up to Andrea to start the conversation, assuming she still likes what she sees in Jeff's profile. Andrea opens the notification and thinks to herself, He’s a Jeff?! I would never swipe right on a Jeff!” (Because of past students that she can relate the name to of course.) Andrea doesn’t know why she swiped right on Jeff, but she did, so she decides to start the conversation. Hmmm, I need to say something fun, something eye-catching to separate me from all the other girls. She thinks to herself.

Jeff receives a new message… Hey, Jeff!

The conversation continues to build from there. Things are going smoothly, so they exchange numbers to take the conversation off of Bumble. After a bit of texting, Jeff decides to ask Andrea if she would like to meet up this coming Friday. She says yes initially, but then realizes that knowing herself, if she waits a whole week to meet this man in person, she'll grow bored. Lucky for her it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and she knew Jeff had that day off, so she suggests meeting that very evening! Jeff agrees and suggests The Thirsty Moose. It’s a date!

There is a certain amount of risk involved when meeting someone off the internet. So Andrea decides it's best to tell her parents she is going to a friend’s house. She then tells said friend what she is actually doing…. Meeting a complete stranger from the internet for dinner.

A text exchange stating, I'm here, from both, and Jeff steps out of his car. Andrea notices two things. One, Jeff is very tall. And two, he is very handsome. Jeff is nervous but notices just one thing. She is even more beautiful than her photos! They exchange hellos and head inside the restaurant.

After a few moments at the table, Andrea says, Oh god. I think I dropped my debit card and license outside! I'll be right back! She leaves, and Jeff hangs his head a little bit. He assumes that this is her way out and that he will soon see her car drive by the restaurant, with her holding a peace sign out her driver-side window. To Jeff's surprise, Andrea returns to the table with a big smile. As it turns out, this was not a convenient way for Andrea to dip out on the date! She was so nervous when she first saw Jeff that she actually did drop her debit card and license outside her car while she was getting out!

After great conversation over food and drinks, the date begins to wind down. Just then, an employee comes to the table and informs the two that it is trivia night, and asks if they would like to partake. They pass a quick look of agreement towards each other and say yes! After all, this is the perfect way to extend the wonderful first date they are having.

Trivia night can tell you a lot about a person. From the start, Jeff makes it clear that there would be no phone use or help from Siri on these answers. Absolutely no cheating. Andrea agrees. It may be trivia, but it says more about the type of guy that he is. They do not do well, but they have a lot of fun.

At the end of the night, Andrea graciously picks up the tab stating, I was the one that invited you! It should be my treat! Jeff took this as an opportunity and said simply, Okay, I'll get the next one...

The lives of Andrea and Jeff became quickly intertwined. They would see each other at least every other day. Dinner, movie nights, puzzles, board games, anything that they could think of to just spend time together. Families were met, friends introduced, and so many memories were beginning to be made.

Not long after starting their journey together, Andrea was the first to say, "I Love You,” and Jeff said it right back. They continued to spend every moment they could together.

Just after their one-year anniversary, Jeff decided this was it. He didn't want to waste any more time. Andrea was the one.

A few weeks later, Jeff went to a bachelor party. Andrea knew it was at a casino, so she gave him $20 to have some fun. Jeff decided he would take that $20 bill and put it all on roulette number 36, a number that holds significance to Andrea's family. Jeff's friends thought he was nuts to put the whole thing on one number so he bumped it down to $10. "No more bets please," the dealer said as they spun the wheel. The white ball drops and it's time to wait. Bounce, bounce, bounce, as the wheel slows... 36!! Another sign that Andrea and Jeff were meant to be!

After telling Andrea about the winnings, they decide to put the money towards a weekend getaway. Andrea handed all the planning to Jeff and said, "Surprise me!” Jeff immediately knew this is when he would ask Andrea to marry him.

So without her knowing, Jeff scheduled some time to meet with Andrea's parents to ask for their blessing to take Andrea's hand in marriage. His cover story was that he was planning a trip and needed their opinion on something.

Nervous as hell, Jeff arrived at Andrea's parents' house and began to explain he was planning a weekend away with Andrea, and that they were using the money he had won betting on 36. He then said, "And with your permission, I'd like to ask your daughter to marry me." Without even a thought, it was a "YES!" from both Tom and Dawnmarie. There were happy tears and hugs all around!

In the coming month, Jeff would go ring shopping with Andrea's mom, his own mom, and eventually both, to find the perfect ring for his soon-to-be bride.

The Airbnb booked, the ring bought, let's do this.

Andrea knew the days they'd be away, but she didn't know where they were staying or what they were doing. All Jeff told her was that they were leaving on Wednesday, August 10th, coming home that Friday, and one day they would be going to Martha's Vineyard.

The plan was to drive to the Airbnb on Wednesday, and visit Martha's Vineyard on Thursday. However, the weather wasn't looking great leading up to that Thursday, so Andrea and Jeff decided to wake up early and do Martha's Vineyard Wednesday before going to the Airbnb. Andrea had a sneaking suspicion Jeff might be planning to propose on this trip, but this sudden change of plans and the fact that, to her knowledge, he had not spoken to her parents about it yet, made her think this must not be the time. So the day began and they drove down to the Cape where they boarded the ferry to the island. Jeff maintained his cool. The ring was in its box in his front right pocket. His main concern was her seeing the bulge and the surprise being ruined.

He made sure to stand on her right side any chance he could get, even picking up a map of the island to fold and keep in his pocket to cover up the box. The day went as smoothly as one could hope. They got coffee and walked around. Jeff showed no signs of what he had planned. He appeared to give Andrea the reigns of where they were going and what to check out on the island, but he was really steering her towards their final destination, the Edgartown Lighthouse.

After a couple of hours of walking and a short bus ride, they arrived at the lighthouse. As they walked towards the lighthouse, Jeff began playing with the box in his pocket. He began to realize there were way too many people around, and he wasn't one to make a scene. Andrea suggested they take a seat on the beach, perfect.

Jeff knew Andrea would want a photo of the both of them at the lighthouse to remember the trip, so his plan was to ask a couple passing by to take their photo and during that time, present the ring. Just as he planned, a couple came by and he asked, "Would you guys mind taking our picture?"

Jeff handed the couple his phone and stood by Andrea to take a photo with the lighthouse in the background. As the couple went to hand the phone back to Jeff, he said, "Actually can you take one more," the couple agreed. As he reached into his pocket and pulled out the box, he got down on one knee, and Andrea was shocked! He asked "Will you...", she said, "Yes! The couple that took the photo now had a wonderful story to tell their friends for the rest of the day, and Andrea and Jeff had pictures to remember the moment!

Immediately they started telling their family and friends. Facetime phone calls and text messages. Andrea and Jeff shared glasses of champagne at a bar on the island, while Andrea marveled at how her new jewelry sparkled in the light. A successful surprise and a weekend trip they will never forget. All to end one chapter of their lives together and begin the next!