How We Met

Like so many modern love stories, ours began online. We met on Hinge, where a profile can only tell you so much — a few photos, a few prompts, and just enough information to wonder whether there might be something there.

Catarina was beautiful, of course. Her profile was interesting too, with little details that made it clear we had things in common. But what really made me stop was a video.

In it, she was being silly, dancing her eyebrows in a way that was playful, confident, and completely her own. It made me think she might be different. Hopefully special, in the best possible way.

Our first date was supposed to be dinner and drinks on a Friday night. But Catarina didn’t want to wait. She asked me to meet for coffee first, followed by a walk around Glenmore Reservoir.

That first walk gave us one of our earliest stories. We saw a bear in the “wild” along the reservoir banks — unexpected, memorable, and probably not the kind of wildlife encounter most people plan for a first date. By the end of the walk, we had our first kiss in a McDonald’s parking lot. Not exactly the setting you imagine for a romantic milestone, but now it is part of our story, and we wouldn’t trade it.

Friday became our first proper date.

We started with drinks at Proof. At one point, Catarina excused herself to go to the washroom, but before she left the table, she kissed me — our first public display of affection. I remember sitting there, looking into her eyes and at her beautiful smile, and realizing I was in trouble.

From there, we went for dinner at Pat & Betty’s, sitting upstairs at the railing. That spot became more than just a table. We returned to the exact same place for our first and third anniversaries, turning an early date into a tradition. After dinner, the night continued through Comery Block and Prohibition Lounge, one place leading naturally to the next, neither of us wanting the evening to end.

Catarina was leaving for Chile and Brazil that Sunday, so on Saturday she asked to see me again. I already had plans to go to lacrosse, but after the game I went to her place.

We were sitting together on the couch when she told me she had something for me.

I had mentioned how much I loved banoffee pie. Catarina had searched Calgary trying to find some and eventually found two helpings of banana pie from Bridgette Bar — one for that night, and one for me to have while she was away, so I would think about her.

It was such a small thing. And it was not small at all.

It was thoughtful. It was generous. It ignored all the silly dating rules people seem to follow now — the ones about not showing too much interest, not caring too much, not being too open too soon. Catarina was simply being herself: kind, warm, and unafraid to show it.

The next morning, I drove her to the airport. On the way, she leaned over and caressed the back of my neck and head, which she already knew I loved. It was another one of those quiet little gestures from those first few days — natural, affectionate, and deeply meaningful.

So much happened so quickly.

The eyebrow video. The coffee date. The bear. The McDonald’s parking lot. Proof. Pat & Betty’s. The banana pie. The airport drive.

By the time Catarina left for two weeks, I already knew we had found something special.

Then, of course, she was gone.

For two very long weeks.