Tom and Abby met through an online dating service when Abby was matched with Tom. She messaged him on July 1st, but he didn’t respond until September 1st. She thought he was never going to respond, and he didn’t realize that he wasn’t getting notifications for her messages. When they finally were able to connect, they talked for hours on the phone via the app. Shortly after, they began texting each other, which led to long phone calls every day. They finally met each other for the first time at Bear Cave Brewery where she was working a fundraiser event for a dog rescue she is involved with. It wasn’t an official date, but Tom got to meet Abby, and in a turn of unplanned events, he even met her parents and their dog, Finn, for the first time that day. It was at that time that both of them realized they wanted to pursue a relationship together. Due to their work schedules, dates were few and far between, but they continued to talk daily and really got to know each other well in a short amount of time.

Abby met Tom’s parents for the first time on Christmas Day 2024. It felt very comfortable for everyone from the moment she stepped in the door. A month later, both sets of parents met one another at a birthday party Abby had planned for Tom. Now the couple is in trouble because the moms bonded instantly, and both sets of parents enjoy being together. Shortly after Tom’s birthday, the moms helped him plan a huge surprise for Abby. On February 8, Tom proposed in the snowy front yard of Abby’s newly purchased home. Later that evening, both families and Abby’s close friend/sister came together to have a meal and celebrate.