After attending a Hinge wedding and meeting another engaged Hinge couple there, I thought, why not? I’d been single for two years, thriving in my photography business, and finally felt ready to give love another shot.
So I downloaded the app, went on a few dates, but nobody really impressed me (and this was Hinge Atlanta, so…it made sense). Still, I kept hope alive. Then one day, a 6'3" photographer who loves to travel hearted one of my photos. Naturally, I went full Inspector Gadget and searched his socials, only to find his Instagram was private. So instead, I messaged him on Hinge: “Thank you ☺️.”
He replied, “Lol. You’re more than welcome 😇.” Some may say I made the first move, but that’s neither here nor there! I asked him, “What makes a good photo?” trying to figure out if he was a real creative or just another man with a camera in Atlanta. And his answer? “Imagination.”
Beyond our messages, I could already tell by his smile and interests in the arts how genuine he was. A few weeks later, on May 3rd, 2023, we went on our first date. He loves to remind people that I was 10 minutes late, but every woman knows you have to make them wait a little.
Over the next few months, we spent hours talking, texting, and going on dates. When I visited his house for the first time, we talked for hours, played card games, and flipped through his high school yearbook while he shared stories about basketball and how involved he was in high school clubs.
Suddenly, an energy came over me. It was a new feeling, almost like a vision of my future with Jeff, but also a flashback to me knowing him in a past life. And for some reason, the next words that came out of my mouth were, "I see you." The kind of "see you" where you totally and completely understand a person. We laughed at the same things, and we laughed a lot. I’m a Midwest girl from Flint, Michigan, and he was born in Chicago. We both came from homes where our parents had been married for 30+ years.
Jeff became more than someone I was dating; he became my best friend. Someone who reflected the best parts of me. Someone who constantly reminds me that I deserve to be loved, protected, and treated with the utmost respect. And on June 12th, 2023, he asked me to be his girlfriend. ❤️
Three and a half years ago, fate flipped a coin on me, heads was losing you forever, tails was you and me. Funny how a Quarterman turned out to be the charm, turns out love does not divide, it just adds up all warm. Call it the first quarter of forever, if you are keeping score, the kind of quarter that never spends itself, it just asks for more. Who knew one long dinner could divide my heart in four, and somehow multiply it, better than it was before.
You walked in ten minutes late, and simply beautiful, unrehearsed. That guileless, vibrant energy had me smitten from the first. Food, and laughs, and one drink that somehow turned to a few, and just like that, being with you felt peaceful, refreshing, like a home I never knew.
Cameras taught us how to look, conversation taught us how to stay, dinners ran long on purpose, neither one wanting to walk away. We gave each other our evenings, wine, and food, and Insecure reruns too, those days felt like they'd never end, turns out, they were building me and you.
So here's to every quarter since, and every one that's still to come. Whatever quarter of life we're in, I'll spend it discovering you, my love.