Jacqui and I met through Facebook Dating, which is a thing.

It felt unconventional to make a first impression through photos of yourself and answering select prompts to share our character and personality, but there we were.

After our first date, I knew Jacqui was in love. Only kidding, we were very awkward, mostly because Jacqui continuously threatened my life in grand detail. The biggest takeaway from our dates was that I met a genuine, hilarious, loving and kind soul which turned into recognizing each other as soulmates.

After several more weeks of talking every day and going on dates, introductions to each other's children, meeting close family members and Jacqui sending me ring designs, I proposed to Jacqui in a private setting on an unsuspecting Monday in November 2024 where she said “YES”.

I met Chris while on maternity leave. Weird start right? If that isn’t strange enough, we stumbled upon each others’ lives in the less known corner of Facebook: Facebook Dating. After 10 months carrying Ezzy to where he was destined, I decided i’d end my leave by “getting back out there”. After a glass of wine (or two) I found myself on the Dark Web aka Dating Apps. At a 99% horror story rate, I somehow found myself in a 1% chat with this charming man who asked caring questions, was sharp as a tack and had a quick hilarious wit to match his cute pictures.

On the way to our first date I did what all modern women do when meeting a stranger from the internet: I text a few friends his information, shared my location on my phone and let them know if I was murdered this was their guy. But this time I added, “If he is anything short of a serial killer, I am going to marry this man.”

The rest is (a very short) history.

Only a few dates later and some very close calls of saying, “I love you” naturally and accidentally, we both knew we were lucky as hell and that the search was over.

Not even two months after meeting I found myself throwing my well fostered caution to the wind, diving head first into talks of “marriage” and “forever”, after 2 decades of believing I had no interest in either. Chris was it. This was it.

Chris and I were both single parents, so naturally our quality time was squeezed in after all the kids were tucked in bed. One of those nights in November he asked me to be what I thought insane and impossible my entire life. He asked me to be a wife, his wife, and in that moment there was no more obvious of an answer than “yes”. I couldn’t believe that life all of a sudden sounded even sweeter with him by my side.

People were skeptical to say the least, and a former version of myself would agree. Just two 40 year old kids barreling towards a crazy, whirlwind romance. Not a fucking chance. But almost a year later, here we are planning our dream wedding, in our dream house, with our perfect blended family.

I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with my very best friend.