I remember as if it were yesterday: I was walking into work, the same place where you worked, when I came across your profile. Wearing a pink bow tie and a beaming smile, I felt flushed with anticipation. Do I swipe right? What if he swipes left, or already has? Clearly he'd talk to me at work if he were interested... I can't tell you all of the things that were racing through my mind, or how many emotions I was experiencing all at once. All I can tell you is that I remember feeling excited and, admittedly, a bit relieved. Finally, an excuse to talk to the co-worker I stare at every shift. To think, we had worked together for a year, and Tinder became our icebreaker?

Needless to say, I swiped right.

We had never talked before, which was just as much my fault as it was yours. You were quiet and shy, and I was forward and oblivious. I was afraid to like you because I was afraid to be rejected by you. So, naturally, I had to talk to you now that I finally had the chance (or, at least, a more legitimate reason). A quick screenshot: sent. Gotcha. You responded quickly, humored by what I can only assume was my near-tangible glee. I felt a tinge of disappointment, knowing our conversation would end there. We didn't know each other outside of folding shirts and hanging pants. A few short hours of work and a responding screenshot later, I finally got the notification: "It's a Match!" Gotcha back.

We talked, we got to know each other. And before we ever had the chance to spend time together, we delved into who we were as individuals. I taught you all about my favorite authors, and you tolerated my writing for the sake of offering criticism, all done with that same, intoxicating smile. You taught me about gymnastics and showed me all of the things that you were capable of, and I immediately became your self-declared No. 1 fan. A week in and it was safe to say I was smitten. A month in, it was safe to say I had fallen completely in love with you. I could always make you laugh, and you did the same for me. Our shared humor and sarcasm was a constant reminder of how good we had it. We complimented each other's characters, filling in where the other just couldn't manage. We knew each other so well that words had become unnecessary. At times, a look could tell me more about what you were feeling than words ever had, and a sigh could give me notice to when you needed your space. Gotcha. You diffused my panic attacks and held me together when I began to unravel. Gotcha back. We became a team.

But sometimes, even a team has an off day (or an off season). Once things settled down and we had gotten to know each other, things between us changed, only the change was a good thing. I began to know your temper, as well as you knew mine. I knew which buttons to push, and which ones were off limits, even for me. I experienced your bad days with you, just as often as your good days, and you learned to be patient when there were things about me you still couldn't understand. We had changed, but we had changed together.

There are always good days and bad days, and there always will be. Not every day is a happy day, but there are always moments within our days that I still feel overwhelmingly happy. I am reminded of us in all of the moments in-between: the ones where you plan a surprise, weekend-long date, or the anxieties you get in talking about the future that you want and how hard you want to work to get there. Every moment is a moment I want, because it's a moment that I have the honor of sharing with you. On our good days, that happiness reminds me of the boy I "met" on Tinder, and how a simple match offered us a future. On our bad days, I look at the man in front of me, and I see how much we've changed to get here. I see just how much I admire the person you were, the person you are, and the person that you aspire to become.

You've made me more adventurous, taking me out to hike mountains, to splash in icy oceans, to tackle road trips. We've visited families, shared holidays, and have made plans for our futures, both separately and together. I've watched you find yourself just as you've watched me figure out who I am now and who Iaspire to become. We found ourselves apart, which was just as important as finding each other. We've spent nights up all night talking, and others binge-watching Netflix while eating Cookout at obscene hours of the morning. It's not always romance and social expectation. Some of our best memories are unplanned, imperfect, and invaluable.

It's nearly a year later, and sometimes, we still find those kids that matched on Tinder, but, we're also finding the adults that we've nurtured each other to become. We didn't mind saying "I love you" only weeks into dating, and didn't fight becoming inseparable after only a handful of dates. We became more than a couple in that match. It wasn't about where or how we met, it was about the people that we were, and the people we were meeting. You're my closest and dearest friend that I was quick to do everything with, and I don't regret a minute of that decision, because I've got you, and you've got me back.