3 days ago
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When 2023 rolled around, I was ready for a change. I’d spent the Covid years locked down in Victoria, Canada. I had quit my day job at the end of 2019 to write full-time and travel, only for the world to shut down.
During those long, lonely years, I kept myself distracted by playing an online game. Nothing fancy, just a phone game about surviving a zombie apocalypse. It was a bit of fun and a way to connect with people from around the world. One of those people was a fellow named Craig.
His witty way with words first caught my attention. We started chatting and our interactions quickly became the highlight of my day. I thought we had chemistry, but we kept things light and friendly. After all, we were internet strangers living many time zones apart. There was no chance we’d ever cross paths.
Then, I learned that Craig lived somewhere in Australia, and I realised there might be a chance for us to meet after all. I was already scheduled to attend a romance book signing in Melbourne, Australia, in April. It took me a while to screw up my courage to ask where he lived. The answer changed our lives. Craig lived in Melbourne, and my tentative query about possibly meeting for coffee turned into plans for a full day of exploring the city together.
I was still jet-lagged when we met for the first time. We explored the city centre with a focus on coffee, chocolate and bookshops. We ended our day with a train ride out to a wonderful shop that sold replica swords, armour and other geeky items.
We enjoyed an amazing day, but I still wasn’t sure if it was a date. After more than a decade of being single and two years of Covid isolation, my instincts were so rusty they squeaked.
As far as I was concerned, Craig was a real-life romance hero. He was the whole package: tall, handsome and charming, with a great sense of humour and a geeky side that matched my own. Did he feel the same way? I hoped so.
We ended our day back at my hotel. After a leisurely dinner, neither of us wanted to say goodbye. Craig is a photographer, and he offered to take some pictures of the Melbourne gas brigade from my hotel window. I’d seen the towers of flames the night before and wanted photos, but I hadn’t managed to take one that did the view justice.
He took those pictures. Then he put down the camera and asked permission to kiss me. It was a scene straight out of a romance novel, only this time it was happening to me. I said yes. As we kissed, I knew Craig was someone I wanted to keep in my life.
After that, we spent as much time together as we could. Craig even agreed to be my assistant during a book signing. He was sweet and supportive despite the chaos as nearly a thousand readers descended on the convention centre.
The day before I had to leave, we talked about our future. It was a short conversation, because we both knew what we wanted. We were in love and determined not to let this chance at happiness slip through our fingers.
A few months later, Craig came to see me in Canada. Our connection was stronger than ever, fed by daily video chats and “date nights” spent gaming together.
I showed him my world, just as he’d shown me his. We went whale watching, took nature walks, and I introduced him to my parents and friends. By the time he returned to Australia, we were even more committed to each other.
In 2024, I visited Australia again, and during the trip, I asked Craig to marry me. This time, it was his turn to say yes.
Our happily ever after didn’t come quickly. It took thousands of hours of online conversations and video calls, personal challenges and the loneliness that comes with a long-distance relationship. But we found a way. In March 2025, I said “I do” to the love of my life.
I’ve moved to Melbourne, one of the many new immigrants to arrive in this beautiful country. We’re building our life together one day at a time – with laughter, occasional moments of geekiness, and a heartfelt belief that our love story has only just begun.
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Susan Hayes is an author of more than 70 books.
