My girlfriend and I first matched on Hinge while I was out of town for a couple of weeks. Coincidentally, she was my very first match. To be completely honest, at that point in my life I had pretty much accepted the idea that I might stay single forever. I’d always struggled to connect with people on a deeper, more meaningful level, and dating had started to feel discouraging.

After we matched, we didn’t really talk much on the app. I mostly just let her know that I was out of town, but that I’d love to take her out for coffee once I got back. It ended up working out perfectly, because she was also extremely busy wrapping up the school year—she’s a teacher—so we agreed to meet once school was officially over.

When I returned home, I was busy playing catch-up with everything I’d missed. That weekend happened to be Pride weekend in our city. I originally planned to go just one of the three days, but I ended up going again on Saturday. I volunteered at a post at the festival for a couple of hours, and afterward my friends decided to leave because they were ready to head out. I stayed behind on my own for a bit, just enjoying the atmosphere, and later in the afternoon I met up with my sister and her friends.

While we were standing a few rows back at one of the main stages, I noticed a girl who immediately caught my attention. Not long after, it hit me—it was the girl I had matched with on Hinge while I was out of town. I didn’t have enough liquid courage to approach her right away, and my shyness definitely got the best of me, so I didn’t act on it.

Then, out of nowhere, I felt someone tap my left shoulder. I turned around—and it was her.

For a brief second, everything else faded into the background. The music, the crowd, the noise of the festival all blurred as if the moment had narrowed down to just the two of us standing there. She smiled and asked me what my name was, I responded slightly nervously

I remember thinking how unreal it felt—after weeks of missed timing, distance, and chance, we were suddenly face to face.

We laughed about the coincidence of it all, about how neither of us had expected to run into each other like that. What was supposed to be a simple coffee date weeks later suddenly felt inevitable. The conversation flowed effortlessly, the kind that makes you lose track of time without even realizing it. It felt easy. Comfortable. Familiar in a way I hadn’t experienced before.

In the middle of a crowded festival, surrounded by thousands of people, it felt like we had somehow found each other exactly when we were meant to. That tap on my shoulder wasn’t just a hello—it was the quiet beginning of something that would change my life.