Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

Love can bloom in the most unexpected ways, and for Summer Pfleger, it all started with a dare. The TikTok user, who goes by @summerwa101, shared a heartwarming video documenting how a playful challenge from her mother led her to the love of her life.

It all began when Pfleger noticed a handsome employee at the front desk of a Holiday Inn. Encouraged by her mom, she nervously picked up the phone and made a call that would change everything.


"My mom dared me to call him… so I did!"

— @summerwa101

A simple dare turned into something magical

In the video, Pfleger shared her initial hesitation before making the call. Despite her nerves, she followed through. When the employee, Ethan, answered, she told him she thought he was cute and asked if he was single. To her delight, he was—and they exchanged numbers.

"All because you made a phone call!"

— @tiffany_livehost

From first dates to forever

Two panels depicting a post on TikTok by Summer Pfleger. It isn't unheard of for a relationship to start on a dare, but to capture the moment on camera is a treat. TikTok | @summerwa101

What started as a dare quickly turned into a whirlwind romance. Pfleger shared updates with her followers, revealing that she and Ethan had gone on several dates. She also documented the sweet moment when he officially asked her to be his girlfriend—with a unique twist.

Since their first conversation involved her asking for a fork, Ethan made it memorable. He gave her a fork engraved with "Be my girlfriend" and the date they met.

Two panels depicting a post on TikTok by Summer Pfleger. The met over forks, so he asked her to mary him with one. TikTok | @summerwa101

Their love story continued with romantic gestures, including Ethan decorating a table with butterflies—Pfleger’s favorite. Eventually, on her birthday, Ethan proposed at the spot where they had their first date.

A love story that came full circle

 @summerwa101 Little did I know I was gonna end up marrying the cute boy from the Holiday Inn. This video took a year to make! #fyp #foryoupage #justmarried #married #couple #holidayinn @Holiday Inn Express #marriage ♬ original sound - Summer Pfleger 

One year after their first conversation, Pfleger and Ethan tied the knot. She shared a final video update, dressed in her wedding gown, ready to say "I do."

"Did I watch the entire thing and celebrate like you were a close friend? Yes. Congrats!"

— @kjb12345

Even Holiday Inn Express, where Ethan worked, joined in on the celebration:

"Congrats to you both! We are so excited to be a part of your love story."

— @holidayinnexpress

One phone call, a little courage, and a push from Mom led to the love of a lifetime!

More For You

A mother scolds her child in a dim room.

Parents might be setting their children up for a lifetime of issues without ever realizing it.

Psychologist warns about 'eggshell parenting'—and why its effects last a lifetime

Children thrive in environments where they feel safe, secure, and loved. But when these feelings are unpredictable, it can create lasting emotional harm. Dr. Kim Sage, a licensed psychologist from Newport, California, has popularized the term "eggshell parenting" to describe this dynamic. Through her TikTok channel (@drkimsage), she has shared hundreds of videos explaining how eggshell parenting affects children and their future relationships.

What is eggshell parenting?

Eggshell parenting occurs when a child's emotional environment is dictated by a parent's unpredictable outbursts. Dr. Sage explains that this forces children to be constantly on high alert, suppressing their natural emotions and behaviors to avoid triggering a negative reaction. "Eggshell parenting and emotionally unpredictable, unsafe parenting often creates a lifetime of hypervigilance in us and a deep belief that there’s no such thing as real safety in relationships," she says.

Keep ReadingShow less

Dad explains how he 'protects' daughter by taking her into the women's bathroom

While some states have made great progress in improving the child changing stations in men's bathrooms, many still lag behind. A few years ago, father Charles Mau went viral when he shared the appalling conditions he encountered while changing his daughter.

That's why Chronicles of Daddy blogger Muhammed Nitoto decided to share his solution to the problem: taking his daughter into the women's bathroom instead. In a viral Instagram post, Nitoto explained that he does so to "protect" his daughter from "all things that aren't for them, and the men's bathroom is 100% one of those things."

Keep ReadingShow less
sad, sadness, emotional
a man holds his head while sitting on a sofa

Millennials discuss the impact of their parents lack of emotional support

Every generation has different parenting styles that have impacted their children's mental health and emotional intelligence. And when Reddit user u/Soup_stew_supremacy posed the question to r/Millennials: "Do any of you struggle to get emotional support from your parents?"–the response was robust.

"I'm not sure if it's because they weren't supported in some way, or just a generational thing, but myself, my husband and some of our friends and family members often lack emotional support from their parents," she shared. "My parents are in no way bad people, but they get really uncomfortable with feelings of any kind, and they pretty much just want to talk with you about surface-level stuff. If you tell them something that's been hard for you, they will say 'Oh, that sucks. So anyway...' I couldn't imagine trying to look to them for emotional or mental support, it would just be embarrassing and uncomfortable for us both."

Keep ReadingShow less
Mom, mom and son, working mom
woman in gray sweater carrying baby in blue and white shirt
Photo by Gabe Pierce on Unsplash

Toddler's sweet messages for working mom on doorbell cam melts hearts

Doorbell cameras have captured so many iconic moments. From a UPS driver grateful for snacks left out at a home she was delivering at, to a new mom receiving heartfelt parenting advice from her mom during a visit, to an Amazon driver doing a solid for a woman looking to conceal her purchases from her husband--they do so much more than serve as a security tool.

And for first-time and working mom Hannah Bell, her doorbell camera has helped her create beautiful memories with her toddler, Landon, each morning she is away from home at the office. Bell shared with Newsweek, "I started consistently leaving for work before my son woke up in the morning, so we didn't get to see each other most mornings."

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Hemsworth's response to his daughter's big question deserves applause

Chris explains what happened.

Image from ellentube/YouTube video.

Chris Hemsworth's response to his daughter's big question deserves applause

Chris Hemsworth might be best known for swinging a hammer as the Norse god of thunder in “Thor: Ragnarok,” but when it comes to being a dad, he’s just as legendary. The 35-year-old actor and father-of-three had a standout parenting moment that proves he’s more than just a superhero on screen.

It started with a curious question from his daughter

In a 2015 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Hemsworth shared a story that starts with his daughter, 4-year-old India, having a very specific question about anatomy—and ends with a beautiful message about identity and acceptance.

Keep ReadingShow less