I first met Josue during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic. We bonded online over our mutual love of animation, RPG, plants, and our babies: Bambi and Blu. The more we got to know each other the more we related. We had so many weird similarities in our life experiences, and I quickly trusted him with all my secrets.

We were finally able to meet in person in October 2020. Armed with my mask and hand sanitizer, I ventured into Chicago to meet my new best friend, feeling excited and anxious. It went fantastic, despite a couple bumps in the road. I picked him up and we went to a "Chicago Park." After talking about the invasive bush honeysuckle I saw, and walking through many prickly bushes (seriously, they were everywhere off-trail and hurt so bad!), he asked me if he could do something stupid. Feeling the mood shift, I cautiously said yes. I got the sweetest kiss on my cheek and instantly turned as red as those honeysuckle berries. He had always treated me so well, and was cuter in person! After some car pizza and trying desperately to find a bathroom (Most public restrooms were closed during the pandemic), I dropped him off and started the first of many trips home from Chicago. Thankfully, this time we both avoided catching Covid; however, our luck was about to wear out!

The next time we met, He came back to Bloomington with me and we found out that I had a close contact with Covid. We quarantined together, fought covid together, and since then we've been inseparable.

We've fought through both the good and bad, lost and learned together. He carried me through the loss of my dad, and I cared for him when he lost Blu. I can't imagine my life now without him.