He told me about his life right away.

“I have a five-year-old daughter, Mia. She’s the most precious thing…” His smile faded. “My wife died in a car accident a year and a half ago.

It’s just my princess and me now.”

My heart pained, but the connection I felt to him wasn’t just about sympathy.

Matthew made me laugh. He had kind eyes and was respectful. When he asked for my number, I gave it to him without hesitation.

He never hid that he’d been struggling, either.

“Some days are still heavy,” he admitted during our fifth date.