Like most modern love stories, ours began with a swipe right. Jerred and Kimmie met on Hinge—yes, online dating, that scary little corner of the internet where you swipe right and hope you don’t end up in a true crime documentary. Lucky for us, we matched. We kicked things off with an exchange of funny videos, random memes, and texts that kept us both up way too late. Who knew those “LOL” and "LMAO" texts would turn into a real thing?

A month later, we had our first date at Terry's Terrace. Kimmie thought Jerred was a little quiet at first, but he was warm, welcoming, and, of course, handsome. Plus, he had that sarcastic edge that made her laugh (and roll her eyes, but mostly laugh). Jerred thought Kimmie was refreshingly open and honest—she wasn’t pretending to be anyone else, and that made her even more beautiful.

After a brief hug and a quick wave goodbye, we both had no idea what was about to unfold. Kimmie, still trying to figure out the whole dating-as-a-single-mom thing, wasn’t sure what Jerred was getting himself into. But he stepped up with no hesitation—like, full-on superhero status—and has been by her side, making her laugh and offering support (and letting her steal his fries) ever since.

For Kimmie, the moment she knew Jerred was “the one” came one night when Piper stayed the night with me at Jerred's for the first time. She was having trouble falling asleep, so Kimmie, being the supermom she is, laid down on the floor next to her for comfort. Jerred walked in with a pillow and, instead of just dropping it down and walking away like any normal person, he lifted Kimmie’s head, placed the pillow underneath her, then laid down right next to them. It was such a simple moment, but it hit Kimmie hard. She realized right then that Jerred wasn’t just a guy—he was the one.

Jerred knew Kimmie was the one, but not in some grand, romantic way. Oh no. It was during their second date, when Kimmie shoved a burger in her mouth like she hadn’t eaten in days. Jerred, completely bewildered by her complete lack of shame, said, “Wow, you really don’t care, do you?” Kimmie, with her trademark sass, shot back, “Nope, I really don’t.” And that, my friends, was the moment Jerred thought, “Yep, I’m in this for life.”

Since then, we’ve continued to navigate life’s ups and downs, always laughing, always sarcastic, and always side by side. Now, we’re here, ready to take the next step in this crazy journey together, surrounded by the people we love (who probably know all about our weird little quirks by now). Our story is just getting started, and we can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

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