Hers: The first time I met Farris, I knew something was different about him, because I’ve never had trouble eating (as all my friends know well). I was so nervous. At lunch, I could barely get down half a shawerma sandwich (one of my favorite foods.) Later that meal, he told a joke that made me drop half the sandwich from my mouth in laughter. It was the best ice breaker we could have had. The rest of the date, we explored a museum which we were both keen on. In one exhibit with furniture, we began remarking about what we would be put in our home. I hadn’t felt so safe, so at ease, and happy with someone so quickly. Despite being long distance for most of our relationship, I feel like it brought us closer in a special way. There wasn’t any topic we couldn’t discuss; we could talk for hours on end every day. He was always so considerate of my time with my insane schedule and so thoughtful to check in and plan things for us. I knew I had fallen for a kind, generous, thoughtful man who I would want to spend the rest of my life with. His: Coffee shops, Arabic food, museums, book stores, Knafeh. So many memories on that first day and I want to share them all. But I’ll settle for the moment I caught the first glimpse of the woman I’d one day marry. I was completely at ease, in my element at the restaurant, eating the food before the plates hit the table. But after a few minutes of eating, I realized Hadeel was sitting across from me clutching a half-eaten shawerma sandwich. She took a bite, and I wish I recalled what I said in that moment, but just know that it was hilarious. The result was that the food shot from her mouth in a not-so-attractive, but kinda-cute sorta way. I saw it happen in real time and by the look of desperate despair on Hadeel’s face, she had just watched it happen in slow motion. We laughed for a long time after that. The quiet, shy girl was gone. In her place was someone whose personality was larger than life. The best type of person. The type of person that could make you laugh when you aren't in the mood to laugh. The type of person that can speed up and slow down time, all with merely their presence. With a smile that could floor you, eyes you could explore for hours and a fierce love that could inspire you to move mountains. She was my type of person.