We've known each other longer than we can remember. We started crushing back when Myspace was a thing (he was in my top 8). Then we matched pools working as city lifeguards. I remember that being the only time in my life where I was excited to clock into work! I could tell by how well he swam that he could keep up with me. We lost touch after graduating highschool right before heading off to college. More recently during the summer of 2018 after a Khutbah addressing marriage, my mom caught Elijah after prayer and insisted we speak. He was so tired of asking me out that I had to nearly beg him! LOL. Later that evening we went on our first chaperone date (Thanks cousin Randi for 3rd wheeling). The two of us became inseparable after that. We started traveling together and spending more time with family as a couple. Naturally, there were plenty of ups and downs since. Everything we went through made us stronger and wiser! In 2021 we became parents to a little girl who is a spitting image of us both. There’s never a dull moment between us. We share interest in deer hunting and fishing ( my brothers Faruq and Yusuf initiated him with a crossbow). He taught me how to make a perfect pot of rice. I taught him how to line up his beard properly and the difference between clippers and trimmers. Our experiences together have made both of our lives richer. We are now ready to fulfill our obligation as a Muslim family.