Martha had all but given up on the idea of meeting a good man. At 36, with two painful divorces behind her, she felt that her romantic journey had reached its end. Independent and confident, she didn’t need anyone, but even she sometimes longed for love. On a whim, she decided to try a dating app, just for fun. Little did she know it would lead to flying across the country to meet a man who turned out to be homeless.
For the longest time, I had given up on love. After two marriages, both ending in heartbreak, I was done with the idea of ever finding “the one.”
My first husband struggled with alcoholism, and though I thought I could help him overcome it, his addiction ultimately consumed our marriage. My second husband was his polar opposite—a wealthy businessman who made all the decisions, leaving little room for my thoughts or opinions. In both marriages, I lost myself, and by the time the second divorce was finalized, I swore off marriage altogether. Love just didn’t seem to be in the cards for me.
One evening, bored and restless, I downloaded a dating app. I wasn’t looking for anything serious—maybe just a casual conversation to break up the monotony. But as I swiped through profiles, I found most men were just as frustrating as my exes—rude, self-centered, and dismissive.
I was about to delete the app when I matched with Jake.