In February 2021, Los Angeles was slowly waking up from the long quiet of the pandemic. One of the few joys of social life came from a small improv acting class tucked away in Laurel Canyon. Matt had recently joined and quickly became known for his high-energy performances. One evening, Tommi Aura, a new friend Matt had made in class, sauntered in with a beautiful new face. Her name was Miranda. After watching Matt bounce around the room like an over-caffeinated SNL cast member, she told him he was “so good,” assuming he was a professional improviser. They said a quick hello and went their separate ways, not knowing their paths would cross again just days later.

That weekend Matthew hosted a small gathering at his house. When he stepped outside, he was surprised to find Miranda in the courtyard. They picked up right where they’d left off, talking late into the night and discovering an easy connection. It was a cold February evening, so Matthew lent Miranda his jacket for the walk home. A few nights later he asked her to dinner at San Vicente Bungalows; conversation flowed effortlessly, music became a shared language, and something unmistakable began.

A few days later Miranda returned Matthew’s jacket. While chatting in the sunshine, she mentioned she’d gone to church earlier up “Mooooholland.” Matthew laughed and gently corrected her: “You mean Mulholland.” The pronunciation was too good to lose—“Mooooholland” morphed into “Booooholland,” then into a cascade of extended-oo jokes that eventually produced the nickname that remains to this day: Booski. Like so many things in their relationship, it began with a small moment, a shared laugh, and a spark that kept growing.

Since then, Miranda and Matt have traveled all over the world, but they feel most at home in the joyful, playful world they create together. No matter where they are, as long as they’re laughing, joking, and being a little silly with each other, they know they’re exactly where they’re meant to be.