Matthew:

It was a cold spring day, the kind that forgets it's supposed to feel like spring. I had just about given up on dating, worn down by half-hearted messages and conversations that never made it past two words.

But as I sat in a Thai restaurant, half-lamenting the noodles and the state of things, my phone buzzed.

This message didn’t begin with a "hi." It began with Gottman. Yes, that Gottman. She asked about love and theory and invited me to respond with real thought.

So I did. With full sentences. With full heart. And something new began.

Gia:

After a season of intentional singleness, filled with healing, laughter, and raising the 24th foster child, I felt a quiet prompting from the Lord. It was time to open my heart again.

I signed up for a dating service, hopeful but grounded.

Messages poured in, but one caught my eye. His profile reflected faith, creativity, and the promise of lifelong wit.

He wasn’t over six feet tall, which should have ruled him out, but somehow he made it through the filters.

I sent a thoughtful message, curious if what I sensed was real. He replied with something even longer than mine.

So I wrote again. And so did he.

Together:

What began as simple messages became a beautiful rhythm of exchange. Thoughts, ideas, and stories grew longer with each written reply. Eventually, the gush of words out-taxed the dating app platform. So the conversation moved from text to letters.

Each day, the letters were eagerly anticipated. Each one brought joy, insight, and connection. Then, with a shared sense of courage, the idea of meeting in person arrived.

On a rainy evening, inside a quiet French restaurant, the words that had once lived on paper came to life in conversation. That night, Matthew brought a gift — a wooden box filled with every letter exchanged so far.

From then on, the days unfolded into weeks and then months. They shared a relationship marked by intentionality, admiration, deep faith, and a continued love for words.

Letters turned into presence. Presence turned into promise.

The Proposal:

When the time was right, Matthew planned a night that would speak in the language they both loved most - a night of letters.

One by one, friends and family arrived, each holding a letter written just for Gia. Each read their words aloud — memories, blessings, hopes for the future.

Each letter was placed into a new box, crafted to carry the story forward. When only one letter remained, Matthew read it quietly.

It was a proposal.

A promise that the words would never stop. That their story would continue with God, with grace, and with love.

From letters to love to letters again, Matthew & Gia's story is being written together.