Katie & Brennan
A gentle kind of love
“We were playing Scrabble at the cottage. It was a random moment, but it felt like I could picture our future in that moment. This is something we could very well be doing in 20 years at the cottage with a bottle of prosecco, and there is nothing to it. But also so much to it.”
* * *
I sat across from Katie and Brennan, excited at the prospect of hearing their story. I knew it would be special, but to hear it unfold in their own words was something else entirely.
Love stories often begin in the most usual and unusual ways. For Katie and Brennan, theirs sparked amidst the digital chaos of online dating.
"I just said, 'fuck it,' and messaged him," Katie laughed, recounting how she'd taken a chance on the cute guy with the dangly earring. Brennan, equally amused, chimed in, "And my first response? 'Katieeeeeee,'" which he still says that way to this day, a testament to the spark between them.
He confessed, with a sheepish grin, that despite his initial "looking for nothing" status, he was instantly captivated. "I even told her I'd booked the wedding planner," he admitted, revealing his borrowed pick-up line.
Their online connection was electric, a two-week-long conversation that hasn't stopped since the summer of 2023. They described the balanced messaging, the effortless flow, and the feeling that they'd stumbled upon something truly special.
"It felt like a Jane Austen novel. Like two characters engaged in an intellectual battle, always trying to one-up each other," Brennan described. From witty banter to deciding to meet in person, things shifted. "When we met in person, it became a different vibe. It felt less like a hookup and more like, 'Oh, I like this person.'"
I asked Katie and Brennan about their first meeting (which I knew about, given my friendship with Katie). It was a daring rendezvous in the depths of Grand Bend Provincial Park, a meeting I'd encouraged.
Katie, ever the adventurer, recounted her drive into the unknown, ready to face whatever awaited her.
"I couldn't believe you were doing it—I was ready to fight someone should a man show up," Brennan said, laughing. "Who drives into the forest of a Provincial Park on a Tinder date?" Katie's laughter echoed his.
"If this is a real person, I admire her courage," Brennan stated.
When Katie arrived, she bought a day pass, unsure how long she'd stay, and called Brennan to find him. In a park with little to no service, her call miraculously connected. They planned to meet at the general store.
"I'm driving in, and then I see him with his little dangly earring, and I'm like, 'Ok oK ok ok,'" she said, smiling, "HI!"
Brennan, meanwhile, confessed he'd initially thought she was AI. Despite calls, voice notes, and selfies, something felt unbelievable. He admitted he was captivated by her "sexy phone operator voice."
"On the phone, Katie sounds like a sex phone operator. Not that I know what that sounds like, but the fullness and sexiness of it. I thought, this could be AI, because this is what a hot lady would sound like!"
But when he saw her pull up in her Civic, all doubts vanished. She was indeed a hot lady, a real hot lady.
After a 20-minute drive into the deep woods, they made it back to the camp where Brennan and his friends were camping.
They played spoons and spike ball. Katie kept up with Brennan's friends' banter. "The boys," Brennan said, "were witty, and Katie held her own. She was confident and rolled with the punches." They decided to go to the sand dunes, just the two of them. And then, as if on cue, the rain began. Katie, tired of waiting, took the plunge and kissed him. Brennan's delayed reaction only added to the charm.
The day ended with a comical stick-in-the-butt incident just after their cinematic sand dunes kiss, some playful wrestling, and a romantic make-out session in the car. Brennan, ever the gentleman, left it there, wanting to savour the magic of their first encounter. They credit much of their relationship's magic to taking things slowly, enjoying each moment.
I asked about their favourite things about each other. They paused, then looked at each other.
“Katie's confidence,” Answers Brennan, “and her laugh” is what drew him in right away, “She loves to cackle, and she snorts.”
“Immediately, I think of his very gentle and calming energy, and so loving. So empathetic and attentive.” She adds, “You look me in the eyes, which is very scary.” I think this was Katie’s way of saying he looks right into her and that vulnerability is a terrifying and welcomed thing.
* * *
“It is technically a long distance relationship. And so the time we have together is precious…it’s hard but also can be lovely because when we get one day together we try to make the most of it. We always go out of the way to make something beautiful. Time together is really precious and I think being apart makes the time more special.” - Brennan
“Gentle love is kind rare in this day and age. I’ve had people come up to me and be like ‘Do you guys fight? We fight?’ And Im like no. I’ve had people come up to us and say I want what you have. I want the love you guys have.” - Katie
“Time has been hard the last little while with schedules that aren’t aligning and the busyness of our individual lives.” However, Katie and Brennan make sure to make meaningful dates when they get the opportunity to spend time together. And let me tell you, they have done some fun things.
“We have like really fun dates,” Katie said, from seeing theatre productions, playing VR games to test their teamwork, and cooking at home dates.
“We do a lot of cooking together. It’s kinda our thing,” Brennan mentions.
I asked them what their most cherished memory together is. This sparked another moment of quiet reflection between the two of them.
Katie began to say, “I actually have a video of my favourite memory and for that I am grateful, I love this one video of you (Brennan) because in this exact moment I was like I love this guy. Like I think I clued into it. The video is literally you and your cute white sweater at Christmas, and you were shaking the cocktail shaker and your dad was there. And you were so cute. It was a weird moment where everything aligned with family and you.” Brennan smiled, realizing it was her favourite.
Brennan also shared his favourite memory;
“We were playing scrabble at the cottage. It was a random moment but it felt like I could picture our future in that moment. This is something we could very well be doing this in 20 years at cottage with a bottle of prosseco and there is nothing to it. But also so much to it.”
It seems to me that Katie and Brennan appreciate the little moments together over anything else. It's a testament to the power of their relationship, a beacon of calm and affection in a world often characterized by turmoil. Their love story isn't about grand gestures or dramatic pronouncements; it's about the everyday moments of kindness, understanding, and unwavering support that create a love that others yearn for.
“It hit me like a truck,” Katie describes falling in love with Brennan, “It came out of nowhere. Learning how to love someone” Like everyone, we all come with baggage from the traumas in our lives, “from a vulnerability standpoint it has been hard because I’m uncovering a lot about myself. Learning how I want to be loved.”
As our time together slowly comes to a close I asked the both of them to share a song or two that reminds them of their love for one another.
“I don’t want to close my eyes,” Sings Brennan. With a laugh, Katie saaid,
“Thats unfortunately our song,” Brennan doesn’t wait a beat to continue singing.
“I don’t want to fall asleep cause I miss you babe.” Katie took her cue and joins in. They both sing,
AND I DON’T WANNA MISS A THING.” We all burst into laughter.
Katie explained that this was the song of their first slow dance. Once again, Katie is in the middle of the woods, this time on a extended family camping trip. Brennan was the DJ at the family jamboree and as he put this last song of the evening on - Katie was nowhere to be seen. Fate seemed to have other plans because shortly after the song began Brennan got a tap on his shoulder and there was Katie.
It’s important to note that the Park Rangers had ended up crashing their jamboree and were at their campsite at this moment, trying to get them to shut down due to park curfew.
“It was so romantic” Katie laughed. The two of them were slow dancing to “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith, with the high beams of the Park Ranger car hitting them like a spotlight. The rest of the world seemed to disappear.
Their story, a tapestry of laughter, daring rendezvous, and quiet moments, painted a vivid picture of a love built on genuine connection. Of a love that showed up for one another. Of a love that takes consistent work. It wasn't the grand gestures, but the simple acts of kindness, the shared laughter, and the unwavering support that resonated.
In the end, it was Katie’s final words that echoed,
“It’s what do you want to put into a relationship, that’s what matters.”
