Once upon a time, in the charming, yet little town of South Haven, two people who had lived just blocks away from each other their entire lives were about to be brought together by none other than... Bumble. And a little bit of fate.

Theresa, the fiery Puerto Rican, had always felt like a magnet for attention. With her loud laugh, bold personality, and a passion for helping others as she was studying to become a physical therapist assistant, she was known for both making people feel better and keeping them on their toes. Between school, studying, and frequent napping, Theresa found some extra time to scroll through dating profiles.

Fred, a slightly older and infinitely wiser guy, was doing his own thing while raising his 12-year-old son named Graham along with his two Frenchies Odie and Enzo. At the time Fred was an Athletic Director by day and well…night, was also looking for love on Bumble. Between the busy day working and being a semi-professional beer taster by evening, Fred took a chance and swiped right on a spicy Puerto Rican Princess.

It was those fateful swipes to the right that changed everything. They matched on Bumble, like most great love stories, they began chatting. They couldn’t believe how close their pasts had been. They’d both grown up just a few blocks away from each other, attended all the same schools, and had some mutual friends. It was one of those moments when you think, how did we miss each other all these years? Maybe it was the 7 year age gap…

After a couple weeks of chatting, Fred finally asked Theresa out on their first date. Fred and Theresa met up at Blockhead Beerworks where Fred enjoyed some local beer. Theresa, on the other hand, showed up for the company, not the hops. Fred tried his best to convince her to drink a beer, but Theresa’s response was, “I’m just here for the food,” which, honestly, seemed fair. The evening was filled with awkward first-date banter, laughter, and good food. The evening came to an early end as Fred had a curfew and needed to be home to care for his son. Fred walked Theresa to her car, kissed her goodnight and they went on their ways. That same evening, they continued to chat and agreed they wanted to continue to see each other. Theresa then became a part of Fred’s everyday life getting to know his son, Graham, and adjusting to the Frenchie lifestyle.

Fast forward to a year and a half later, Fred found himself in Puerto Rico where he got to spend the day up in the mountains with Theresa and her family drinking pina coladas. It was hot. It was humid. It was rainy. The weather was basically in the middle of having a breakdown, but Fred didn’t care. He’d never been more certain in his life. He got down on one knee and asked the woman of his dreams to marry him, and she, of course, said yes!

Theresa and Fred continued to make new memories together. Fred was there to celebrate Theresa graduating from PTA school. Theresa was there as Fred transitioned back to the classroom teaching PE, coaching wrestling, and starting his own lawn care business. They went on several vacations together, celebrated each other's birthdays, attended all of Graham’s football games and wrestling meets, and decided to build a brand new home. However, living together was a whole new experience! Theresa was learning to cook more for her family while Fred was making sure Theresa ate at a timely manner before she became hangry. Fred was trying to make their house into a home, while dealing with Theresa’s indecisiveness. However, with patience, compromise and love they managed to build their new house into a home.

But love isn’t always just rainbows and proposals. During their time together, both Theresa and Fred endured the heartache of losing beloved family members. It was a tough, emotional time, but they leaned on each other, growing stronger in the process. If you can survive the loss of a loved one together, you can survive anything—whether it’s living together in a hotel room for a month or a miscommunication about who’s walking the dogs.

So, here's to the girl from South Haven who swiped right on a guy who had a teenager, two mischievous bulldogs, and a fondness for beer. And to the guy who was lucky enough to win her heart, despite the fiery obstacles life threw their way. And no matter what life throws their way, they know they’ve got each other—and two loud, snoring French bulldogs—forever.

Photos