In the summer of 2023, a family that Ellie had been nannying for decided to set her up with their kids’ tennis coach, David. 
David, who was in the middle of his own “personal growth journey”, asked her out and then quickly asked for a rain check. (Listen, we don’t judge him for this, okay? This was a classic situation of right person, wrong timing.) Communication fizzled and they never really kept in touch that summer. 
One year later, in August 2024, Ellie went to study at a coffee shop called Fido where she soon discovered David was working there. Flirting ensued and Ellie was lured in repeatedly by the occasional free coffee from David, but still kept her guard up (and yes… sometimes she would bring a friend with her just for the excuse of free coffee.) 
EVENTUALLY David asked her out AGAIN but Ellie hesitated to say yes because she didn’t think she liked him and knew if she said yes to a date and ultimately rejected him later… her ticket to free coffee would be no more. 
After much convincing by her roommates, she said yes to a date. David suggested a super fancy restaurant to which Ellie enthusiastically declined and suggested they go to Waffle House instead. 
Ellie wasn’t feeling the spark during the date at Waffle House (let’s blame it on the setting…) and after not talking for a few weeks, David persisted AGAIN and asked her on another date to Torchy’s Tacos. (Queso, in fact, is the key to Ellie’s heart all along.) 
This time, Ellie could actually see everything that David really had going for him; he was thoughtful, personable, funny, and he really was ready to pursue her wholeheartedly. 
David dove fully into Ellie’s life, teaching a fiercely independent woman how to be pursued and loved. By November, they were in love and could absolutely see a future together. Ellie has been swept off her feet by the way David has pursued her and they love spending time together with their friends, traveling the world together, and laughing till their ribs are sore. They know that their future will be absolutely filled with those things and they can’t wait.