We didn’t meet in a cinematic way (although Ghalib driving almost 4 hours round trip on I-84 and I-90 for our first meet-up was a romantic leap of faith). There was no lightning strike, no swelling music. At the time, it felt ordinary — two people already deep in their own ambitions, calendars full, futures mapped in bullet points. But as the ramen shop slowly started stacking chairs around us, we realized we had unknowingly talked for hours, right through closing. Per Mariam, Ghalib was gentle and kind, listening and validating in a way that made her want to share everything with him. Per Ghalib, Mariam was passionate and refreshingly candid, her reflections revealing an intentionality that inspired him. They were very much still strangers, but it suddenly felt wrong to part ways. The gut feeling was instant, but the relationship was built slowly, spread out over weekend visits to Boston and Connecticut. We became each other's fresh air and peace between exams, interviews, and long night shifts. Despite it all, we have discovered we are each other's best teammate (and favorite consult).