One Saturday morning in November, Katie received a text from Matt asking whether she would be willing to give a romantic relationship with him another chance. He was all in and ready to commit. After giving it some thought (and putting Matt through his paces) they decided to spend New Year's Eve 2019 together and the rest, as they say, is history.

Katie and Matt didn't know what was coming for them in 2020 when, in the last week of March, Katie was sent home for two weeks due to the spread of something called "coronavirus" and Matt's restaurant shut down. In the ensuing year, they participated in Takeout Fridays, Quarantine Cuisine on Saturdays (fine dining at home in Katie's apartment), and watched LOTS of television and movies.

The pandemic broke many couples apart during quarantine but Katie and Matt grew ever stronger in their commitment to each other and their relationship together. Though they spent most of 2020 on the couch, they were never bored and Matt started spending more of each week with Katie.

In October 2020, Katie and Matt moved in together. They met each other's families and friends and learned how to live together harmoniously. The ensuing years brought career changes and changes of address, but their commitment to each other remained steadfast.

On his birthday in 2023, Matt proposed at the site of the (now defunct) restaurant where they had their first date. Katie said, "Yes, of course!" ...before reminding Matt that she had to catch a plane in the morning to go to Arkansas for work.