The Invisible String

When people ask how we met, we usually smile and say, “On Hinge, during the pandemic,” but the truth is, our story began long before that. Ours is a story of an invisible string—one we didn’t even notice at first, but looking back, we can see it was pulling us together all along.

Rose grew up in Arlington Heights, while Connor called Utah home—a 1,392 mile stretch between us. Yet, Connor would often visit family in Arlington Heights, spending time with his cousins at California Pizza Kitchen, one of Rose’s childhood favorites. Without knowing it, our invisible string was already crossing in small, serendipitous ways.

As the years unfolded, the string drew tighter. Rose moved to Long Grove, and Connor relocated to Arlington Heights. Connor attended Saint Viator High School, while Rose went to Carmel Catholic—two rival schools. Rose cheered from the stands for Carmel while Connor played on the field for Saint Viator. The Fortune family’s backyard, right on a golf course, was often visited by Connor’s stray golf balls—but still, the string wasn’t tight enough yet.

Then came Rose’s freshman year at Dayton. She was invited to a Thanksgiving party, which, coincidentally, Connor also attended. Did we meet there? No. The string was getting closer, but we were still on different paths. Even after Thanksgiving, Rose found herself at Connor’s house for a few parties, but we still never quite met.

The next year, Connor remembers the blaring music from what he would later learn was Rose’s apartment, but again, the string remained untied. If we’re being honest, there were more strings pulling us together than we could count. Mutual friends, rival high schools, the same Thanksgiving feast, and our shared love for the Dayton Flyers. We were practically living parallel lives!

It took a tiny push—a simple swipe on Hinge—to finally bring us together. So, how did we really meet? We met because of that invisible string, quietly tugging us closer until the time was just right, and we were exactly where we were meant to be—together.

XOXO