I started working at Olive Garden in April of 2021. Little did I know, starting that serving job would end up changing my life for the better.

That’s where I met Matthew. We quickly realized we had known of each other from high school, and ironically, we had both worked at Chili’s before this—but somehow never crossed paths. We had some playful banter early on, and I remember him wanting to switch name tags with me (pretty sure that was his way of flirting, lol). So for a while, he walked around with a name tag that said Emma, and I wore one that said Matthew!

In June of 2021, Matthew asked if I wanted to go to Glendo for a lake day and some cliff jumping with a few of our coworkers. I said yes, even though I’m absolutely terrified of heights! He offered to drive, and I rode with him and another coworker. Honestly, I was a little nervous about being in the car with him for two hours—just trying to figure out what we’d even talk about.

But the second he picked me up, we started talking... and didn’t stop. Just on the short drive through town to pick up our other coworker, we were already deep in conversation. And that continued the entire drive to Glendo. Which, if you know me, is wild—because I’m usually really shy and kind of awkward. It was crazy how natural it felt. I barely knew him, but somehow we could talk and relate for hours. That’s when I started to feel like, “Damn... could this be the one?”

Later that day, I got peer-pressured into jumping off one of the cliffs. And of course, with my luck, I ended up with a huge bloody nose. But guess who sat with me until it stopped?…. Matthew.

After the lake, we all went back to a friend’s house to grill burgers and hang out. On the way there, Matthew made a comment like, “I bet you’d look good in yellow.” So of course, I decided to shoot my shot. When I got home to get ready, I dug through my closet looking for something—anything—cute and yellow.

That night, we all met up again. I had all the girls whispering in my ear, saying things like “He definitely likes you,” and “You guys would be so cute together.” So I just focused on spending more time with him, getting to know him better.

When I was about to leave, Matthew offered to walk me to my car—even though it was just a short walk. It was the beginning of all the thoughtful, romantic gestures he’s continued to show me. Later that night, I was giving one of the girls a ride home and we stopped at McDonald’s. She asked what I thought of him, and if I thought he liked me. And right in that moment, I got a text from Matthew saying, “I had a lot of fun getting to know you. I hope you have a great night.” i’d never felt so many butterflies and giddiness before.

The next day at work, I was rolling silverware in the back when he walked up and said, “I know you don’t like dates because you think they’re awkward, but... do you want to grab lunch and just hang out at my place while we’re on break?”

And the rest, well... is history.