Greg Reck and Emily Starkey met at a 12-step meeting seven years ago and bonded over their similar backgrounds and career pursuits.
A mutual desire for sobriety brought Gregory Lawrence Reck and Emily Blakeley Starkey together, but they were online friends for four years before their relationship turned romantic.
The two met in October 2018 in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Austin, Texas, before attending a late-night 12-step meeting.
“I was newly sober at the time and spotted this cute girl who was chatting with her friends,” said Mr. Reck. “I approached the group to say hello, and we all introduced ourselves and talked about where we worked.”
When Mr. Reck told Ms. Starkey that he was pursuing a career in public education, she immediately warmed to him. She mentioned that she was a public-school teacher who loved her job. “There’s this unique bond between people who share a love for public education,” she said.
A few days later, Mr. Reck, 31, and Ms. Starkey, 30, added each other as Facebook friends and kept in touch online by exchanging messages a few times a month and commenting on each other’s posts.
Their virtual interaction increased in 2020 when 12-step meetings went online because of the pandemic. “Since we were communicating more frequently, I started looking at Greg’s profile pictures more closely and realized how attractive he was,” Ms. Starkey said.
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