The moment I knew: When he laid down his camera and asked for a kiss
When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve 2023, I felt a surge of anticipation. After years of isolation during the pandemic, I was ready for a fresh start. I had spent the better part of the Covid years locked down in Victoria, Canada, and had finally quit my day job at the end of 2019 to pursue my dream of writing full-time and traveling the world. But the world had other plans, and my travels were put on hold.
To pass the time, I immersed myself in an online game, a simple yet engaging phone game about surviving a zombie apocalypse. It was a fun escape, and I connected with people from all over the globe. One such person was Craig, a witty and engaging individual who quickly captured my attention.
Our conversations became the highlight of my day, and I felt a spark of chemistry. We kept things light and friendly, aware that we were internet strangers separated by time zones. I never imagined that our paths might cross in real life.
However, fate had other plans. I discovered that Craig lived in Melbourne, Australia, and I found the courage to ask about the possibility of meeting. To my delight, he lived just a stone's throw away, and my tentative query about coffee soon blossomed into plans for an entire day of exploring the city together.
Despite being jet-lagged, we embarked on an adventure, focusing on coffee, chocolate, and bookshops. We ended the day with a train ride to a unique shop selling replica swords, armor, and other geeky treasures. It was an incredible day, but my instincts, rusty from a decade of singleness and two years of isolation, told me it might not be a date.
Craig, with his tall, handsome, and charming demeanor, great sense of humor, and geeky side that resonated with mine, felt like a real-life romance hero. I hoped he felt the same way.
Back at my hotel, after a leisurely dinner, we lingered, reluctant to part ways. Craig, a photographer, offered to take some pictures of the Melbourne gas brigade from my hotel window. I had admired the towering flames the night before and wanted to capture the view. He snapped the perfect shots, but then he did something even more memorable.
He laid down his camera and asked for a kiss. It was a moment straight out of a romance novel, and I said yes. In that instant, I knew Craig was someone I wanted to keep close. We spent as much time together as possible, and he even agreed to be my assistant during a book signing, navigating the chaos with sweet support.
The day before my departure, we discussed our future. It was a short but profound conversation, as we both knew what we wanted. We were in love and determined to make it work.
A few months later, Craig joined me in Canada, and our connection grew stronger with daily video chats and 'date nights' spent gaming together. I introduced him to my world, and he to mine. We went whale watching, took nature walks, and I even showed him my parents and friends. By the time he returned to Australia, our commitment to each other was unwavering.
In 2024, I visited Australia again, and during that trip, I asked Craig to marry me. He said yes, and our happily ever after began. It wasn't an easy journey, with thousands of hours of online conversations and video calls, personal challenges, and the loneliness of long-distance relationships. But we found a way. In March 2025, I said 'I do' to the love of my life.
I've moved to Melbourne, one of the many new immigrants to arrive in this beautiful country. We're building our life together, day by day, with laughter, occasional moments of geekiness, and a heartfelt belief that our love story has only just begun.
