The vague emoji that started it all

Kimberly Harris and William Browns Jr. are linked to "the greatest, goofiest, most introverted romantic encounter of all time".< /p>

Neither Kimberly NiCole Harris nor William James Browns Jr. had high expectations when they went online in August 2019. Both had become almost disappointed with the world of online dating after trying various sites and apps.

It was tiring, Ms. Harris said, "It's not really finding people with who you're connecting to."

"They weren't not working for me," Browns said, adding that he was unable to find anyone. one who shared his interests and values. Single Blerds" - a Facebook dating group specifically for those who identify as single black nerds.

Although neither had immediate success in the group, they stayed d because they valued the community. Until one day Mr. Browns liked the picture of Ms. Harris in the group. She replied about a week later, on August 22, 2019, with a wave emoji in a private message, initiating what Mr. Browns describes as “the biggest, awkward and most introverted romantic meeting of all. time".

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Born and raised in Aurora, Illinois, Ms. Harris, 35, earned a bachelor's degree in political science, public policy, and magazine journalism from the University of Syracuse, before attending Princeton University for a master's degree in public affairs. She graduated from Northwestern University with a law degree in 2019 and is currently a trust and estate planning partner at Perkins Coie in Chicago.

Mr. Browns, 27, was born in Chicago and spent his teenage years in Westchester, Illinois, after moving to the area with his mother when he was 14. He attended Bates College, where he received a double bachelor's degree in mathematics and chemistry. . Mr. Browns is currently a middle and high school science teacher in Providence-St. Mel School in Chicago.

A month after that fateful wave, Ms. Harris and Mr. Browns' first date began with mini-golf at Putting Edge in Norridge, Illinois, and ended with dinner at a Longhorn Steakhouse. But not without a few mishaps.

"I was nervous," Ms. Harris said. "I had to drive 40 minutes to a place he had chosen. It's raining. It's night. And I don't know this guy. They also intended to go to the Texas Roadhouse for chain rollers; when their food arrived, they realized their confusion.

But their first date went so well that the rain, distance and carbs didn't matter."I wanted the date to go on because we could talk about whatever came up and laugh at the silliest things," Ms. Harris said. /p>

Mr. Browns felt the same: "I was finally with someone who showed me he was intellectual, could laugh and joke , and that he could have fun."

The two became an official couple a month later, on November 2, a week after sharing their first kiss at a party that Mrs. Har ris organized to celebrate passing the bar exam.

But according to Ms. Harris and Mr. Browns, they had already fallen in love.

ImageCredit. ..Sergio Mantilla of Well Told Weddings

For Mr. Browns, it was when Mrs. Harris "didn't run away" when he told her about his problems financial. For Ms. Harris, it was when she saw how easily Mr. Browns interacted with his family.

Shortly after going official, Ms. Harris bought a house in Westchester, Ill., about five minutes from where Mr. Browns was...