How it all began
Her Side
We met on Bumble… kind of. We matched, but I deleted the app before I ever said a word to him. Honestly, I wasn’t really feeling the dating scene and was going through some stuff. But Eric apparently saw enough in my profile to think, “Nope, not letting this one go.” So he did what any determined guy would do, he found me on Instagram and slid into my DMs the next day.
We ended up texting and talking on the phone nonstop, like teenager-in-love, falling-asleep-on-the-phone kind of vibes. After a few weeks, we finally went on our first date at Subculture, and we sat there for hours talking about life, love, past hurts, and future dreams.
At that point, neither of us was in the market for something serious. I literally told myself this might just be a one-night thing. But then I mentioned I had broken my coffee pot (a tragedy, obviously), and the next day, he showed up at my door with a brand new one. Like… who does that?
Deena & Eric
That was the moment I knew this wasn’t just a fling. He was different.
It hasn’t always been easy. We’ve been through a lot together, more than most people even know. But through every up and down, Eric has shown up. We've fought for this love, and I’m proud of that. We’ve built something solid out of some really messy beginnings, and if we can do that, I’m pretty sure we can do just about anything.
His Side
So… we technically met on Bumble. But I like to say I had to do some detective work to actually get a conversation going. We matched, and then, “poof”, she deleted the app before I had a chance. Most people would take that as a sign. I took it as a challenge.
I found her on Instagram, sent a message, and surprisingly, she responded. From there, we started talking nonstop, texts, late-night calls, the whole thing. Our first date was at Subculture, and I knew right away she was something special. We sat for hours just talking about life. It didn’t feel like a first date, it felt like I’d known her forever.
She told me later that she thought I was just going to be a one-night stand (thanks, babe), but I had other plans. When she mentioned her coffee pot broke, I figured, “easy fix”. I showed up with a new one the next day. I wasn’t trying to be smooth; I just thought she deserved someone to show up for her.
Since then, it’s been a wild ride. We’ve gone through hard things together. But even in the toughest moments, we’ve had each other’s backs. Loving Deena isn’t hard, it’s real, it’s honest, and it keeps me grounded.
We didn’t get here the traditional way. But if this is what unconventional love looks like, I wouldn’t change a thing.
The Proposal
Deena proposed to Eric. Yep, you read that right.
It wasn’t some grand Pinterest moment with rose petals or a flash mob. It was better. It was real.
They were in the middle of a fight (because that’s life), and Eric was out in the garage, doing his thing. Deena walked out with a beer in her hand and said the classic line: “Can we talk?” Now, normally those words don’t lead to anything good, but this time was different.
She handed him the beer and told him, straight up, “I know we’re not perfect. We fight, we mess up, but I’d rather fight with you than be at peace with anyone else. And I need you to know I’m not going anywhere.”
Before that moment, she had already asked Eric’s mom for her blessing, because even when breaking tradition, respect still matters.
And then she asked him, ring in hand.
No big production. No scripted speech.
Just love, honesty, and a quiet promise made in the middle of real life.
And, of course, he said yes.
It wasn’t picture-perfect. It was better. Because it was them.
