All the greatest love stories seem to begin with that love at first sight moment. That moment when your eyes meet your soulmate’s from across the room, and then they all say “from that moment on we just knew”. In this love story that just so happens…to not be the case. Linda and Joey met on the first day of tennis practice for Rouse High School in the summer of 2014. Joey was fast approaching the minimum height required for a roller coaster, and had the vocal timbre of an “Animal Crackers In My Soup”-era Shirley Temple. Linda had braces, acne, a love of all things sci-fi, and just everything that comes to mind when you think of a very popular, high school knockout. You can probably surmise that high school was not a very easy time for these two lovebirds but they did the best with what they had. Although they didn’t realize it at the time, they had a lot in common. If it hadn't been for a physics teacher with a keen eye, the two of them would never have gotten together and come to realize their shared love of oldies music and comedy.
Joey and Linda started dating in 2017. Their first date was dinner and a show-Wendy’s and a barely watchable high school production of In the Heights! The date went so well they went on to have many others. They spent the next couple of high school years attached at the hip. Joey started coming over to Linda’s house every day after school and happened to make another best friend in the process, Linda’s little brother, Ivan. Linda and Joey became co-captains of the tennis team their senior year. They went to prom together and had only one dramatic incident occur when Linda choked on a piece of bread at dinner. Through all the laughter, heartfelt moments, and unanticipated choking hazards they decided they weren’t ready to let each other go.
After graduating from high school Joey and Linda decided to date long-distance. It was difficult being apart for all those years, but they traveled back and forth to see each other whenever they could. Finally in the Summer of 2023 they got engaged in Liverpool-on the very same day they met at tennis camp almost 10 years earlier! That’s not actually true but it might've been pretty close to the same day.
Even though they didn’t fall in love the first time they laid eyes on each other and they didn’t get engaged on the same day they met ten years ago, they are more in love today than they were in high school. Through all the ups, downs, and everything in between they are both so happy to have found their perfect match in one another. Now they are happily living together in Austin, raising their pups Ranger and Lily, and looking for the perfect excuse to gather their closest family and friends in paradise!