Happily Ever Habte!

It was January 2024 when we were both on Hinge, the online dating app, swiping left, and right every which way. I, Medhanie (Med), saw that someone liked my profile. Her name is Alana (Lana), and she is from Los Angeles, a devout Christian, a sorority member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and a Raiders fan who loves Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and traveling the world. She swiped first, and I became quite intrigued. We chatted briefly, exchanged text messages, and agreed to meet at the Hilltop Coffee Shop on La Brea Avenue in Inglewood, California. On MLK Day, January 15, we had our first date. I saw her in her green Fila tennis sweater with her laptop, and almost instantly, I was enthralled by her brilliance, energy, and spirit. It’s me, Lana. I, on the other hand, thought I was being catfished because I saw a 5’7” (5”6.3/4 to be exact), nervous clean shave guy, even though all of his profile pics had a beard and showed a lively personality. Nevertheless, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and soon introduced him to some cool dating card games. He played along, and I like how genuine his answers seemed. Almost instantly, he suggested our second date be at Industry Cafe & Jazz (Ethiopian Restaurant). He sent a Google Calendar invitation, my love language before walking me to my car. Just like that, this marked the beginning of our journey as one. As Med would say, "this is, as always, just the beginning"