They had known of each other for 15 years through mutual friends but never actually met. Despite multiple instances where they should have met in person at parties or other events, the stars didn’t align until one evening in December 2020 when starting a new D&D campaign with mutual friends. They became almost instant friends, learning how much they had in common in life experiences, personality traits, and love of nature and music. Amanda had the realization that this man would be in her life forever, but thought it would be as a friend. She’d had the thought that if it weren’t for the fact that Pat lived in Portland (and she was never again leaving Seattle) and that he was wildly allergic to her cats, that they could be the perfect fit for each other. But she also thought they only had friend chemistry since they were so similar, so she dismissed the thought. Meanwhile, their friendship resonated so much with Pat, that, "Having more guts than brains" as he puts it, he was willing to risk facing the adversity for whatever the relationship with Amanda had the potential to turn into. One visit to Seattle on April 16, 2021 proved that they not only had chemistry, but that they both felt like they’d found home in each other. After the friendship they’d built, it was so obvious and effortless to be together. The rest is history!