Every couple tells their story a little differently, and we're no exception. Ask either of us and you'll get a unique version of how it all began....

What remains the same in both however, is the undeniable connection we felt the first time we met. Since our first swing dance, its been nothing but a joy to do life together.

Once upon a time, in the summer of 2023, Lincoln and I met very briefly and in passing. I had been invited to go country dancing with our friend Cai (the Best Man), and Lincoln and I danced once. I barely remember us talking, and that was that.

A few weeks later, I was invited to Cai’s birthday party. As I arrived and stepped inside to put my things down, Lincoln was heading back out to the pool. I said, “Hi, how are you?” as I walked by, and his response completely caught me off guard. He said, “Better now.”

Totally oblivious, I replied, “Uh… why?” not really sure how to take it. Before I could even process, he added, “Oh, you thought I meant because you’re here, didn’t you?”

First of all, I did not think that. Second of all, I was completely flabbergasted.

But somehow, from there, we spent the rest of the afternoon flirting and getting to know each other.

Fast forward a couple of months to the beginning of our relationship. Every time he picked me up for a date or answered the phone, I would ask how he was, and he would say, “Better now.” This time, it was in the sweetest, most genuine way.

One day, I finally asked him if that was a line he used on all the girls. He had no idea what I was talking about. He had not even realized that the same sassy comment he made at that party had turned into his way of flirting with me.

That little phrase stuck, and it has been our thing ever since.

And the truth is, I really am better when he is around. My mood, my meals, my workouts, my lazy Sunday afternoons, my patience, my heart, and my spirit. In every way, he makes life better, and he makes me better.

My proclivity for pedantic prose frequently results in the displeasure of those reading it, and of me writing it. Despite the gravity of upcoming events I feel necessitate such careful articulacy, I have promised to restrain these anachronistic tendencies whilst adequately describing them in a way which they deserve.

There are only a handful of times in life where one receives a God wink. The ordinary couple might call it "love at first sight" and others will describe it as "just knowing", while the popular movie series Hotel Transylvania would call it a "Zing". An event which occurs when one person meets his or her soulmate with whom they will spend eternity. Though they may not know it at first, they are indescribably drawn to one another, experiencing a deep yearning to learn more about that person. While I do not subscribe to such trite ideologies, I cannot deny that these experiences exist — and that I too experience them.

A God wink is a term coined by SQuire Rushnell in his book When God Winks, to describe events that appear coincidental but carry a deeper, often spiritual significance, suggesting that God is communicating with you or guiding your path. These events can occur in everyday life, relationships, careers, or personal decisions, and are considered signposts that help you navigate uncertainty and make meaningful choices. In the infancy of my faith, this book made a profound impact on my perceptiveness to the seemingly arbitrary events of my life. Life's vicissitudes were now infused with perspicacity in the Spirit. Even retrospect memories I could see God's hand in.

Meeting Maggie was one such event.