We’re saying “I Do”

Kevin isn't too competitive. Luckily for him, Roya is (this will make sense in a minute). Having both been invited to a mutual friend's get-together, Roya was playing a video game with everyone and, unfortunately, not doing too great. At the very moment Roya was getting annoyed with their playing skills, a fashionably late friend showed up, walked across the playing screen, took over a controller and started to play. Amazed by this new person's playing ability, and, to be honest, not just a small bit jealous, Roya turned to address this new foe. They were immediately struck by the handsome Kevin and their competitive edge was somehow nowhere to be seen. Kevin, in turn, had already noticed the lovely Roya, and he was mostly focused on the gaming in order to avoid staring. Roya approached Kevin, commenting on his good taste in tshirts (the shirt had something to do with Star Wars), D&D was mentioned, and the rest is history, as they say. The two even needed to be reminded that this was a social and not one-on-one gathering and to mingle a bit by their host! As the evening drew to a close, Roya realized they two were the last of the party left. Deciding to risk it all, Roya asked Kevin to text them the name of their favorite author the two had spoken of earlier, as not to forget (always clever). Kevin, being oblivious, gave Roya the sound advice of "googling it". Continuing to persevere, Roya asked again for the text, as googling wouldn't give them context at a later date. After some back and forth, Kevin was nudged by their kind and ever-observant host to just give Roya his number, at which time, Kevin finally obliged. The night was a success, despite themselves! After another friend-group get-together at the movies, and a reminder that they had wanted to hangout sometime, Kevin and Roya found themselves at Guinness Brewery in Hanover, Maryland, enjoying libations and each other's company. What seemed like one-too many drinks was in fact the liquid courage Roya needed to exclaim "Can I say something real?" to which Kevin replied "I love real". Roya then proceeded to elaborate on a story involving Kevin Jonas (their first celebrity crush) and, somehow, connected this to the fact that, because of their shared names, the two were in fact, meant to be. At this point, Kevin asked the most pertinent question: Who was this Kevin Jonas? (please google it if you don't know; he's a very talented musician!) From this point on, Kevin and Roya considered themselves courting/dating, and made it (Facebook) official on June 16th, 2019.

Kevin and Roya knew for quite some time that marriage was the end goal. When it was the right time to propose, the couple decided to have a joint proposal, as it felt the most "them" and Roya wanted Kevin to feel just as special on their engagement day! The two also decided that it would be best to propose amongst their families. What better time than the first meeting of Roya’s mom and Kevin’s immediate family? On a cold but beautiful Saturday morning on the 18th day of January, 2025, as the family all was enjoying brunch (an amazing assortment of bagels and sandwiches and hot cocoa and sweets, provided by even more amazing people), they decided it was time. Kevin gave his phone camera to his dad with the instructions “Use this when it’s time”, then he asked for everyone’s attention. Kevin thanked their families for being there and announced that this had been a long time coming, and that he loved Roya very much. Then, getting down on one knee, he asked the infamous four-word question: “Will you marry me?” to which, of course, Roya replied with a gleeful yes. Roya then said they had the same question, and presented Kevin with a ring of his own, and Kevin replied with his own heartfelt yes! Celebration and merriment were abundant for the rest of that wonderful day, and Kevin and Roya have been so happy with their perfect engagement surrounded by loved ones.

A typical day in the life of Kevin and Roya includes lots of love, laughter, games and reading! One of the first pastimes they developed was for Kevin to read to Roya, thanks to Kevin’s love for voice acting and both of their love for fantasy novels. It’s even become so popular that Kevin is considering trying out audio book narration sometime in the future! The happy couple also enjoy jokes, funny voices, and being simply goofy in each other’s company. Coming up with their own mini-language for each other, their affectionate term is “beb”, happy is “khep”, and love is now “loef” (like a loaf of bread). They've even been complimented by strangers who overheard the pair and appreciated how funny they are together. Finally, Kevin and Roya both love to play games! Sharing a love for video games, you can often find them playing co-op on Baldur’s Gate 3, Elder Scrolls Online, Borderlands 3 (or Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands), or they can watch each other play other games (one of Kevin’s all-time favorites is Skyrim, while Roya’s all-time favorites include the newer God of War and God of War: Ragnarok). Kevin also introduced Roya to rekindling their passion for board games throughout the years. In short, a day in the life of Kevin and Roya includes bringing joy to each other and themselves. They look forward to many more years of goofiness, love and wonder together.