Two are better than one...

There's a lot I'd like to share about Patrick and our encounter, but if there's one thing I must say is that it wasn't love at first sight for me, yet it was undeniable. Patrick and I crossed paths at work while both employed at Moet Hennessy in NYC. However, it's not just how we met that matters; it's the person who made it all possible: my dear former boss, Jasmin Allen. She not only played a significant role in shaping who I am today but also introduced me to my husband. A few weeks into my new job in a foreign city far from my home country, Jasmin invited me along with some team members for drinks. Although I was quite shy at the time, she wanted to discuss a rather embarrassing topic. She emphasized that my arrival had been appreciated at the office but had someone in mind for me to get to know better. She showed me Patrick's Instagram profile, and surprisingly, she was really rooting for him. A few days later, during an office event celebrating the launch of a new bottle called Ginger Zest with grapefruit, Jasmin discovered that Patrick was allergic to this fruit. She asked me to get him a bottle of classic vodka instead, which I did. While at the bar, I saw this gentleman waiting for his drink or, perhaps, for me to arrive. I mustered the courage to strike up a conversation with him, and we ended up spending some time together with our colleagues at the photobooth, where we took our first pictures together. Little did we know then how it would all unfold. After the event, Jasmin, Amaany Clarke (another important figure in this story), and I had dinner at a restaurant nearby, while our colleagues continued celebrating at the bar not far from us. Jasmin worked her magic and arranged for a friend from MH, who came with a surprise, to join us at the dinner. That surprise turned out to be Patrick, and as we all enjoyed some drinks, Jasmin eventually left, leaving the four of us together. We decided to continue the evening with more drinks, and that's when something clicked. Despite there being four people, I could only see him. We bonded over our shared passion, and I even mentioned my knowledge of Chinese. When it was time to leave, we naturally exchanged numbers; how could I say no to a smile like his? That's when Amaany intervened, deliberately putting us in a cab together, thinking it could be beneficial for both of us. I gave her a look that day, but today, I'm grateful to her. The rest, as they say, is history. We gradually got to know each other better and spent time together, exploring life together. The road wasn't always easy, with nearly 18 months of being apart, relying on Facetime and having fewer adventures together. But no matter the distance between us, our love persisted and continues to grow.

In 2018 I met Flora. She was here for 18 months on a work contract. I had to move fast. Otherwise, some other asshole would have gotten me beat. When I first laid my eyes on her, I was like, DAMN, who that be! I thought she was with our agency. However, I saw her the next day and the next and quickly realized the love of my life had arrived. I remember one time I saw her at a champagne training, and she volunteered to try to open a bottle of Dom Perignon. She couldn’t do it. However, her courage to try and her clumsiness of not being able to open the bottle made me attractive to her. I sought to find out who she was, and lucky me, little did I know at the time that Flora’s boss, Jasmin, was pitching me to her. Jasmin connected us for drinks which led me to get her number, and long story short; we started dating. I had to move fast. She had only been in town for one month and was still innocent to New York City. If I waited a little longer, the whole city would have hollered at her. But I prevailed. However, those were the easy days. The difficult days were yet to come. After spending roughly 18 months together, it was time for her to go back home, and shortly after that, covid happened. Covid shut down the borders, and we were stuck in a long-distance relationship that didn’t seem to have an end. We didn’t know the future of our relationship, and we didn’t know when we could see each other next. However, through lots of prayers, daily Facetime, and encouragement from each other, we stuck it through. Three years of long distance, with 18 months of those years not seeing each other. Going through this journey, we knew we were meant for each other. When the borders finally opened, I bought the first ticket to France and arrived on August 1st. It was surreal and awkward for both of us. However, it quickly became familiar again. I proposed that December 10th. It was a day full of joy, but that did not last long as from there, we continued our long-distance relationship, seeing each other once every three months. She couldn’t move to the US as she did not have a visa. Therefore, we married on July 29th, 2022, in France. It was another day full of joy, but something changed inside me. I couldn’t wait another year for Flora to come to the US. My patience has worn off. I had to be with her immediately. I had to go to France. It wouldn’t be until another 7 months that my work could transfer me. From October 31st, 2019, to March 1st, 2023, our long-distance relationship has finally ended.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."