'We Are True Soulmates': PEOPLE Readers Share Their 'How We Met' Stories

"My husband Keith and I met at Dairy Queen. Unexpectedly, he asked if I would like to share some ice cream. This man was so sexy…so handsome and with these soft, natural hazel eyes! I quickly answered, “Yes!” Keith got us a table, pulled out my chair then he extended his hand to pray over our ice cream. And those few gestures quickly turned into a two-hour conversation. I made a bold move. I asked him out. I told him I could only take him to the dollar movie. However, he smiled and accepted.

"Keith picked me up the following day. The first thing I noticed after those amazing eyes was his smell. His HOT scent soaked up all my attention. I had to see him again. Fortunately for me, he phoned the next night. We talked for five hours, 27 minutes and 27 seconds. I teased we would make a great team, hoping I would see those eyes again. I didn’t have to wait very long. We took a long stroll in the park that next day, laughing and joking as Keith gently took my hand. He played with me on the monkey bars. He pushed me in the swing. We were creating memories to last a lifetime; and, all the while I’m thinking, “This man already has won my heart.”

"Before we left the park that day, Keith asked me if we could begin an official courtship. My reply? I cried (tears of joy.) My heart had been rescued. When I tell the story of how I met the love of my life, my King, at a Dairy Queen, I want people to see that innocence and chivalry are not dead. All of this I have in a husband who asked if he could pray with me over an ice cream. I feel safe, secure and protected by Keith’s love." —Roszetta Howell

"My angel Valentine, Tony, came to me from the Match.com gods. I met Tony at a time in my life when I was needing a new kidney for the second time... my time had come and Tony was with me every step of the way. Tony was highly aware of the emotions surrounding me, to the point of feeling those emotions himself, he saw my world differently than other people, he keenly was aware of my pain points, and what I needed emotionally. I couldn't [have] done it without him. I am the luckiest woman... going strong and deeply in love. And he's crazy handsome to boot!" —Cinnamon Hernandez

"My husband and I met 14 years ago online! We dated and lived together for eight years before getting married. We love to travel and take trips on our boat. We are true soulmates!" —Geri Buckley

"Our love story began early 2003. I was new to the Internet and email. I quickly became fond of Yahoo! Messenger and MSN chat. I decided to start my own [chat room] I called "Black Men for Latinas," and it was a success — I met my future wife in that room.

"At the time I was living in North Carolina and she was in California. We spoke on the phone for hours every day, and sent love letters to each other for six months. We had never met, yet we were already throwing the "L" word around. I decided I wanted to meet her, so I jumped on my first airplane with a duffle bag and a room rental set up, but no job, and not much money.

"When I first arrived, it was magical! We hugged and kissed as if we already knew each other. I found a job, an apartment and a car. Things were going well, so I wanted to propose to her. I bought a ring, made dinner reservations ... but my car wouldn't pass smog. I couldn't go and pick up the ring and go to the restaurant without the car. The mechanic was working on it the best he could — by this point, everyone in the shop knew what was going on. I was nervous and stressed and needed this to work out! The mechanic got it to pass, and everyone in the shop was cheering. 

"At the restaurant, when I asked for the check, they were supposed to bring it on a silver platter with chocolates on both sides of the open ring box. She immediately reached for the chocolate! She finally realized there was a ring there. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She obviously said yes! Everyone in the restaurant started clapping and cheering for us. We married on Nov. 12, 2005, and just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. 

"COVID-19 has been extremely hard on us; I lost my job. But we continue in love and faith in God. We are starting a non-profit organization to help end homelessness and poverty. We strongly desire to help others by building community centers, providing resources for at-risk youth and women with children in need of assistance. We also desire to build churches in communities that need them." —Eric Clayton

"My boyfriend and I had our first date planned for May 31. We got coffee in my neighborhood, and then he came over to meet my new kitten. A couple hours in, we got alerts pushed to our phones that citywide curfew in Los Angeles was going to start in 15 minutes! We didn’t want to stop talking so... our date ended at 6 a.m. the next day, lol. He likes to say, “Mayor Garcetti was my wingman!” We’ve been together ever since!" —Molly DeWolf Swenson

"We met online in May 2000 and chatted our weekends away. We spent all our spare time in private chats. He, Texas and me in Ohio. We met in person that September and set our wedding for Christmas in Texas. We have been happily married 20 years." —Jane Butler

"My girlfriend and I met at the hospital we both work for. We are both registered nurses. She had already worked for a year and I was a brand new nurse. She said she saw me on a training day from down the hall in the hospital and knew I wasn’t from the area. She found out who I was and “slid into my DMs.” I saw the message but didn’t respond at first because I was brand new and trying to focus on settling into my job first. I was a float nurse at the time and hadn’t run into her.

"About a month later she was giving me report as I was night shift and she was day shift and I was super nervous because I hadn’t responded to her message. I messaged her the next day and we went on three dates that week! I knew we were meant to be together. About four months later we moved into a new place together and faced the COVID-19 pandemic together. We have been dating ever since, about one year and two months now. Most recently taking a second job together and administering the COVID-19 vaccines in New York. I love Alexis very much and I am thankful every day she slid into my DMs!" —Matthew Andrews

"I was out dancing with my girlfriends when this really cute bootay walked by. I reached out and grabbed him by the belt and pulled him back to us. We all had lots of fun dancing, drinking and laughing. I swear there were times when he danced with me that I couldn't breathe! Unfortunately, I was seeing someone even though we were at the end of our relationship it wasn't the right time to do more than dance with my new friend.

"He had given me his phone number, flash forward a year (I was single) I found his number in my purse. I remembered the fun night so I decided to call and see if he remembered me. He did! We met for lunch and there was still that electric spark! We got married three months later and now 31 years later we are looking at our retirement years wondering what next?!? (My salon is not going to survive Covid, and MS. I had been paying to keep my salon open out of his retirement because love it, but I can't keep it up.) He is a wonderful man, he takes care of me. He grocery shops, does his own laundry and helps with the housework. The most romantic thing he does is not complain when I feel bad. THIRTY ONE YEARS!" —Marian Latimer

"Met my soulmate on a night on the town. Had our first on Valentine's Day. From that day forward we were inseparable — we are now engaged and celebrate our anniversary each year on Valentine's Day. She is my soulmate and the love of my life." —Patrick Denis

"In 2002 I divorced after 29 years of marriage. I lived in Victoria, Texas, and moved to Rockwall, Texas, because my daughter and her family lived there. In 2003 Richard's wife of 34 years passed away from Parkinson's. They lived in Minnesota. Richard is the oldest of seven children, and had one brother in Rockwall. After his wife's passing, he came to Rockwall with his sister to visit their brother. While he was here, he looked at houses for sale and couldn't believe how much house he could buy in Texas for the money. In 2007 he moved to Rockwall [and] got a part-time job as a courier. I was working for a steel manufacturer in Terrell, Texas, and my company was on his route.

"On Valentine's Day 2007 he brought a delivery in and asked the receptionist, Carol, what her "darlin" got her for Valentine's Day. She asked him what he got his "darlin" and he said she had passed. She asked him if he was interested in a new "darlin" as there was a woman on staff that was dating losers. She told him my age; I'm 14 years younger, I was 52 and he was 66. He left his phone number and Carol gave it to me. I called him and we talked. Later we went to dinner. We dated two-and-a-half years and married on Nov. 7, 2009. Richard and his wife didn't have any children, though he had helped her raise her son, who has since passed. I have a daughter, 46, and a son, 43, and three grandchildren. Richard loves them and they love him. I am so truly blessed. I just see God's hand in all this." —Barbara Malak 

"I met my fiancé in the dining hall at our university. A friend of mine invited me to have lunch with her and some of her theater arts classmates and my [future] fiancé was one of her classmates at the dining hall. We became good friends right away and spent a lot of time together, and eventually, our feelings grew romantic ❤️ We recently got engaged a few months ago!" —Scarlett Manning

"I'm sharing my brother and sister-in-law's love story because in December 2016 they got terrible news my brother was diagnosed with a tumor on his brain stem. Our stepmom often went to a little grocery store where my future sister-in-law Tara worked. She was close to my brother's age, so she set them up in 2000. They hit it off and never looked back. They were married in August of 2006 and my nephew was born in 2009. She is my brother Addam's best friend & his rock. Tara takes care of my brother 24/7 because his health declined. Through thick and thin she has been there for him." —Angie Baldwin

"My lady Janna and I met back on Dec. 30, 2020, at our place of work — she is the plant nurse and I'm the maintenance man — and ever since have found the true meaning of love. After many years of failed attempts we have found what it truly means to love without boundaries in the very short time we've known each other. Hey, who sets a time on love? Not I. Love never fails love never waits love never gives up." —William Brown