In March 2020, just after New York City locked down due to COVID, we matched on the dating app Hinge.

It’s funny to say now, but due to the quarantine, “virtual dates” were all the rage, so we first met on FaceTime. We went on two virtual dates where we made cocktails, then two in-person dates: the first to a taco shop for takeaway Margaritas, and the second where Nick cooked a steak dinner. At that point Grace was not ready to date (may have had something to do with Nick’s dad jokes) so they decided to just be friends.

Incredibly, we did stay friends all through the spring and summer, spending a fair amount of time with each other and each other’s friends. In the meantime, Grace started a new job where she had to reverse commute by car to Connecticut, and would often give rides to her coworkers.

One day in October, as a coworker was getting out of Grace’s car, a taxi came out of nowhere and hit the passenger side door, nearly taking it off its hinges.

Grace had to think fast: the door was badly damaged, and she needed help taking the car to an auto body shop in Brooklyn. She needed someone to help her and Nick was the first person who came to mind.

The next day, on their way to the auto body shop, Nick informed Grace that the day before, he had told his boss he was quitting, and so needed to take some interviews from the car. With one hand on his cell phone, the other hand holding the car together, they completed their adventure successfully.

This was a lightbulb moment for Grace. Everyone always says they want a partner who is always there for them and it became abundantly clear to Grace on that day that Nick would always be there for her. That was Oct 8, 2020, and we’ve been together ever since.

Since then, many things have happened. We moved in together in Manhattan, traveled the world, made many excellent cocktails, and Grace warmed up to Nick’s dad jokes.

On September 4, 2024, we got engaged in Bordeaux.

Now, only one mystery remains: who was driving the taxi that hit Grace’s car?