Together Forever

You’d think we met somewhere on campus, both being Kent State University students at the time, or maybe she walked in while I was at work, and we struck up a conversation there. Honestly, us lovebirds found each other on Tinder. For our first date, we went to Art in the Park, an outdoor gallery event hosted by Kent State. We talked about what brought us here and our interests, all while being constantly interrupted by the surplus of four-legged friends she sought out and befriended. That was when I realized Phoebe was a dog person. Our next adventure was a quick hop to the movies, where we discussed our favorite music genres. I learned just how big of a Pentatonix fan she is, while she discovered my love for house music. I have no idea what we watched, but we had a great time heckling and cutting up, given that it was the early bird special on a dead Saturday. We got to know each other’s backgrounds over a very one-sided game of bowling. Lost in conversation, we barely noticed the sun on the horizon—only that the forecast had been wrong. Suddenly, we were jokingly running from the game room back to grab food from the hall. We ended the night with Samurai Champloo and ramen. I think it was the realization that we had been on a date for six hours that made us think, maybe this is worth giving a shot. “Shooters shoot,” and I’m glad I did—because we’ve been inseparable ever since. Now, when I say inseparable, consider it a package deal. During our first couple of semesters in college, we were practically living together in the dorms. Whether it was embarking on an adventure or just relaxing at the apartment, we did more than keep each other company—we kept each other grounded through the constant struggles and metamorphosis into adulthood. When Phoebe lost her car in 2019, we gained our first furry daughter, Mochi Mulan Bombay, first of her name. The following year, after celebrating turning 21 and securing a new vehicle, the future Mrs. got into a crash and lost the second one. But we gained our furry son, Potion Lamont Bombay, and the devoted dog lover also became a cat mom. Then came my constant layoffs due to the pandemic, bills rising with persistence, and a string of other challenges. Although we’ve faced hardships, they have also brought emotional growth, financial understanding, and the determination to be better than yesterday. Through the uncertainty and chaos of all our experiences, we’ve been each other’s rock.