It all began with a sandwich tray.

Melissa was bringing in a mouthwatering assortment of sandwiches to a committee hard at work hiring the next principal. As she entered, balancing the large tray, Aiden glanced up. Their eyes met in a moment that seemed to stretch on for what felt like minutes, as if the entire room faded into the background. Melissa stumbled slightly, but quickly regained her composure. Aiden’s heart raced, captivated by the woman in the blue dress, wondering who she was.

Without missing a beat, Melissa hurried out to let the meeting begin, but not before her mind switched into detective mode—determined to uncover the identity of the mysterious man who had so unexpectedly stolen her attention.

A bit of thorough research led her to discover that Aiden was a TA. With newfound confidence, she reached out, asking him out on a date.

On August 24, 2022, they met at a restaurant and ended up closing the place down. They talked for hours, uncovering shared interests and enjoying the rare comfort of connecting over all the quirky, nerdy things they both loved. When the night ended, they parted ways, both with huge smiles, already looking forward to their second date.

And from there, the rest was history.