Hollie and Brandon
I’ve known Hollie since I was 12, but we really became close in August of 2025. Hollie and I would say we were dating as a joke, because we practically were, but we assumed people could tell we were obviously joking. That ended with me being asked for months, by different people from different friend groups “how did you guys start dating?” and “are you guys actually dating?”. We have a bond that is different than most friendships. I can't really explain the dynamics of our friendship; it's one of those “you just had to be there” things. With all that being said, I care about Hollie deeply and have always wanted her to be happy, and someone to love her as much as she deserves.
One day Hollie showed me a guy from the dating app “Hinge”. A 6’8’’ marine that lives around 40 minutes from us who goes by the name of “Brandon”. I chalk it up to be nothing in the moment because we were always just trolling on that god forsaken app.
Then as the weeks goes on, I start hearing this “Brandon” name more. This is when I start to have a feeling that MAYBE just maybe something good and real might happen and come from this. Hollie and Brandon started to hang out quite a bit, and Hollie started to talk about Brandon, like A LOT. I can tell Hollie not just likes Brandon, but a part of her loves him.
Then one day, I’m in bed about to go to sleep, and I got a text from Hollie that things were over between them. I call her, tell her I am picking her up, and she is going to sleep over at my house. I walked out to my car and it was raining, which really just set the scene. After that night I still heard about Brandon quite often, just in another context, not a bad one necessarily, but not like the way it was before.
Fast forward a month or two later of no contact between the two, Hollie is at my house and gets a call from her mother informing her that something is happening with a household pet. I drive Hollie down to the veterinarian's office and her pet sadly ends up passing away. When we get back to my house, Hollie makes a post about her pet passing away, and DING. A notification appears. Not from a friend sending their condolences, but Brandon sending his. Were we surprised? Yes, but also not really simultaneously. Brandon has always been a good guy, so his extended support wasn’t a big surprise.
From then on, it was Hollie and Brandon again, which I can imagine was a breath of fresh air for them but, it also was for me. Like I said, I love Hollie more than myself, and I wanted her to be in a situation where she was getting the love she deserved. Even though things were a bit rocky during the beginning, sometimes you just know when something is meant to be. If you ask anyone who is close enough to see the working parts of their relationship, they will agree; it was and is meant to be.
Hollie is one in a million; she's unapologetically Hollie. When you hear someone call another “weird” it's usually in a negative context, but when I call Hollie “weird” it's not negative, quite the opposite actually. I love Hollie and her weirdness because in turn I know I would never be in a position where she would judge me for the weird and off-putting things I have done. With that being said, Brandon is just like Hollie. From an outward perspective, I not only think, but BELIEVE he is her soul mate. He is her, just in a male body and a foot taller.
His love for Hollie is quite apparent, in the way he treats her, the way he respects her and in how he holds himself and the relationship. People get into relationships left and right, but there are a select few that you can just tell they are each other's persons. Hollie and Brandon are one of those relationships.
Because of Hollie and Brandon, I truly do believe that good things come to those who wait. Maybe the original timing wasn’t supposed to be, but then one random day it was. It wasn’t luck, or a coincidence they ended up being each other's again – it’s just how it was truly meant to work and play out. Brandon loves Hollie how she deserves to be loved.
I love you Hollie and Brandon aka mom and dad :)