Lauren and Ryan’s story started with a right swipe—very romantic, depending on who you ask 😉. Lauren spotted Ryan’s Tinder profile, which included a suspiciously perfect list of things he loved: football, mac and cheese, country music, and dogs. Naturally, she hit him with her one-a-day Super Like.

Their first date was a walk with Lauren’s dog, Mira. Midway through, Mira lost her ball—and on the next date, Ryan showed up with a brand new one. That was it. Mira was obsessed. And since the fastest way to Lauren’s heart was through her dog, she didn’t stand a chance either.

Turns out, it wasn’t technically their first meeting. Years later, while swapping stories and names, Lauren recognized Ryan’s friend Lenny—and a little digging turned up a photo of them all at The Roxy, five years earlier. Sometimes the universe gives you more than one shot.

In the years since that second-first date, Lauren and Ryan have built a life full of projects, playlists, and road trips. They first moved in together in a townhouse in Langley (even though Lauren said she would never move over the bridge), then bought their Brookswood home 5.5 years ago—and they’ve been renovating something ever since. (Lauren dreams it up, Ryan builds it, and despite what their friends say, he genuinely loves the chaos.)

Their latest adventure is a dream cabin they’re building together from the ground up. It’s the perfect mix of Lauren’s big ideas and Ryan’s “let’s make it happen” energy—plus a few debates over tile samples ;)

Their home is filled with love and pets, past and present. Herbert, a ginger tabby with 15 years of attitude and affection, has reluctantly accepted Ryan (though they’d never admit it). Mira, their soulful pittie-mastiff, adored Ryan from the moment she met him. And now there’s Billie—their goofy new pup, who reminds them of Mira in all the best ways. She’s the chaos Mira knew they’d need.

And while Mira is no longer with them, her love for Ryan—and Lauren’s love for both of them—is still the heartbeat of their story.