When my sister told me Friday the 13th was being released as a video game, I knew I had to play it. A few weeks in, I was matched with a charismatic guy who took being Jason Voorhees very seriously — and I appreciated his commitment to the bit. Since it was rare to find someone using a mic, we added each other and fell into nearly nightly gaming sessions.

Months of talking later, we decided it was time to meet. In April 2018, outside Mission Bar in my hometown, we finally did. We shared a long, snowy hug while curious onlookers watched from inside. He was even cuter in person, and the laughs came just as easily as they had online.

I met Keri on a dark and spooky night in October 2017. By random chance we were in a game together — both talkative, though her approach was a bit gentler than mine. We talked about aspirations, desires, troubles, regrets. We got to know each other for a long time without thinking we'd ever meet.

Then one day we did meet. A short 3-hour drive that became a near-weekly ritual. Deciding the highways weren't the easiest way to date, Keri moved to Syracuse and I accidentally moved in with her. When COVID hit we kept each other sane — and when it didn't go away, at least we were insane together.