"I wasn't sure what I was looking for when I first reached out to Anna. I'd been divorced a few years, my kids were older, and I just wanted to meet someone worth spending time with. Didn't need anything complicated.

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Anna mentioned Daria after we talked for a bit. Artist, lived in Sacramento, originally from Russia. Anna suggested the Crocker Art Museum for a first meeting, which I thought was a little unusual but went with it.

 

I got there early and walked around not really knowing what I was looking at. Then I spotted her in front of this large impressionist painting just completely absorbed in it. We ended up standing there for probably twenty minutes while she explained what she saw in it. I didn't understand half of it but I liked listening to her talk about it.

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After that we started seeing each other every couple of weeks. Once we rented bikes out at the American River Parkway. She brought food, I forgot sunscreen, we ended up wading into the river at some point because it was hot. Nothing fancy, just a good afternoon.

 

One of the most memorable evenings was when Daria took me to a rooftop bar overlooking the Sacramento skyline. We watched the sunset, the city lights gradually coming on one by one. We just sat there talking for a long time. I remember thinking this was actually something real. Not just passing time.

 

She invited me to one of her art classes eventually. Watching her teach was something else. Patient and funny with her students in a way I didn't expect. She made me try painting. I was bad at it. She thought that was hilarious.

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Three years later we have a daughter. Eight months old. That part still surprises me honestly. I came to Anna's Whisper thinking I'd meet someone interesting. Didn't expect any of this.

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But I'm not complaining."

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— Brandon, 37, Sacramento