Tuesday March 19, 2024 we matched on the Hinge dating app. We were both excited to meet in person for the first time, but also probably a bit cautious due to both of us not having had the best experience on the app prior to this particular match. Our first date was on March 22nd at East Side, a bar in Denton with a large outdoor patio area. We started talking and immediately connected. The jitters normally associated with a couple’s first date were instantly cancelled out as our 1st conversation felt like our 100th conversation. We talked for about two and a half hours and said goodbye, both knowing we would absolutely be seeing each other again. The following weeks were hectic but exciting: Madison made the four hour trip down to Denton from her apartment in New Braunfels almost every weekend so we could continue to see each other. The dates that followed the first encounter at East Side went just as smoothly, and we started to realize that we might just be stumbling into something amazing. Madison eventually moved from New Braunfels to Denton, and the first “I Love You’s” were said on May 17th: 56 days after our first date. We knew it was fast but we didn’t care because we knew it was real. The next months that followed consisted of strengthening our relationship, spending every possible day we could together, getting engaged, and moving in together. Madison was exposed to watching her first, and what turned out to be terrible season of Dallas Cowboys football, and Robert was exposed to what it’s like to live with a little, needy, grey cat named Luna who needs to be pet approximately 17 hours per day. What started as two people having an instant connection at a bar in Denton has blossomed into a loving partnership and friendship. Even the most mundane days together are coated with the most palpable feeling of happiness. We make each other happy every day. Sometimes God decides to bless you in such a profound way, you know you’ll never be able to properly thank Him; all you can do is smile.