Naush and Joe met one unremarkable Wednesday night at a small cocktail bar in uptown Dallas. Both of them had been invited out by their mutual friend Bri who has always been great about inviting everyone. Little did they know it would be the start of something very special. Naturally, Joe being the extrovert of the relationship proceeded to tell Naush his life story everything from how he grew up in Georgia(notably said with an accent that Naush has always found quite amusing) to what brought him to Dallas. Although Joe failed to let Naush talk very much that night they found a spark that never really went away.

After crossing paths casually around uptown Dallas a few more times, it came to Joe’s attention that Naush would be running in the BMW half marathon. Joe promptly asked for her number so that he could follow her in the race. To this Naush not understanding Joe's question gave him her phone number.

Not long after this, Joe mustered up the courage to ask Naush out on a date. They met for a casual brunch at State & Allen where they talked for hours (or at least Joe did) and ended up going to another place called Standard Pour which would later become their go to Friday afternoon location. Sadly, this glimpse of an initial spark would not immediately blossom into a great relationship. At that point, Naush was not ready for a relationship and Joe found himself sad and upset about what seemed like a promising first date.

It wasn’t until over a year later that Joe ended up hosting a New Year’s party at his apartment. Their mutual friend Bri having been invited knew Naush was flying home late in the day on 12/31 and didn’t have any initial plans for New Year’s Eve. Bri encouraged Naush to come which she apprehensively did. Joe was surprised at her arrival, and everyone was in good spirits for the occasion. During the festivities Naush saw Joe taking care of his guests and making sure everyone had what they needed. Naush was exhausted from her flight and wanted a cup of coffee to make it to midnight. Of course, Joe did not have a simple Keurig. He had a full-on French press which Joe made a fresh pot just for her that evening. Joe would later find out that was a critical act of service that made Naush start to fall in love with him. As the night went on the two of them rekindled the spark that had been there before on their first date and the relationship started to blossom once again.

In the weeks following that fateful New Year’s party Joe would take Naush on several more dates as Naush warmed up to Joe again. They began talking and texting virtually every day. As the year of 2020 progressed lockdowns soon became the norm and rather than galivanting around uptown Dallas, Joe and Naush were forced to enjoy each other’s company in the comfort of an apartment facing the dumpsters of a high rise building that Naush had recently moved into earlier that year. Drinks around the town were soon swapped for puzzles and socially distant walks in the park. Although this was a time of great uncertainty across the world it brought the two of them closer together as they slowly fell in love with each other.

In the month leading up to the proposal, Joe had taken Naush’s sister Raina to multiple jewelry stores to pick out a ring. Colluding with Raina and her husband Kudzi, Joe and them weighed the options of how to propose. A large surprise party at their favorte drinks spot, an elaborate dinner reservation at an event space in a fancy part of Dallas? It just so happened that Joe and Naush had a trip planned to Chicago. Joe quickly researched high end restaurants in the area and found one on the 95th floor of the John Hancock tower in Chicago. Raina and Kudzi suggested that was a great place to propose and that they wanted to fly up unannounced to surprise Naush once the proposal had happened. Plans morphed on more than one occasion and Joe ended up with 3 reservations as he frantically tried to coordinate the surprise without raising suspicion. But with a ring hidden in his jacket they caught a ride on the elevators to the restaurant overlooking downtown Chicago for the last time as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Joe didn’t wait long into the meal as soon as they got drinks he gave a short profession of love to Naush to which she asked if he was going to propose. To which Joe answered yes as he got on one knee and pulled out the ring. Thankfully, Naush said yes! Although both of them expected the restaurant to erupt in applause and celebration, in actuality no one noticed the moment. As the meal went on Raina and Kudzi arrived just after the proposal and watched from a far not knowing when or if ever Joe was going to propose. It wasn’t until the end of the meal that Joe pointed out that they had flown in to surprise Naush and help celebrate the occasion.

A cornerstone of Naush and Joe’s relationship has always been Naush’s dog Amos. He was 12 years old when Joe met him and lived has last years in Naush’s uptown apartment. Amos was known as a “big dog” to every fellow apartment resident given his relatively large size and stature for an apartment dog at 90 lbs. This was a moniker that Naush found simultaneously annoying and entertaining given how consistently it was mentioned.

When Joe first met Amos, Naush was preparing to go out for the evening and Joe showed up to her apartment. Joe being a dog lover quickly went to go meet Amos but despite Joe’s friendly demeanor Amos growled upon Joe’s approach. Naush noted that he usually does not growl in that way for new people. But Joe would not be deterred. Often Joe became responsible for taking Amos for walks and brought him new toys for him to destroy. As time went on and Amos grew used to Joe’s arrival, he eventually warmed up to Joe. In his later days Amos would make a point to bark and get up to greet Joe. He would often lean against the cabinets causing his tail to make a loud thud as it went back and forth.

Amos lived a simple life throughout the covid times could often be seen snoring peacefully in the corner on his plush bed overlooking downtown Dallas. When he wasn’t fast asleep Amos enjoyed staring at Naush and Joe. Although Amos passed in early 2021 his memory lives on with us as he is a symbol of loyalty and love that helped form the base of our relationship.