In love, there is a series of instances connected by lingering desires and perfect happenstance. Though it may not be clear what causes this complete alignment of time and space, it is the case that with Anjuli and Steve, love has grown out of a multitude of moments that has led these two to each other.

When Steve met Anjuli, they had known of each other only peripherally through mutual friends. In June 2013, at a birthday party, Steve was the DJ for the day and from his booth, spotted Anjuli dancing with her friends in the sunshine. Though Anjuli did not glance back at Steve that day, he kept her in his mind and added her on Instagram, as all modern love stories begin. He knew that if she was from Boston and they shared mutual friends, he had faith that he would see her again when the time was right and he would be able to speak to her. Of course, faith was also bolstered by Steve’s attempts for their mutual friend to speak to Anjuli and give her his phone number. After a few weeks of hearing about a mystery man who she believed she had never met, Anjuli obliged. ​Fine, give him my number! Anjuli and Steve spoke for the first time on July 4, 2013, while Anjuli was in New Orleans for the Essence Festival. She received a phone call from an unknown number--a young man who had admired her for a while and wanted to know if she would allow him to make her dinner sometime when she got back home. He was direct and sweet and despite her reservations about a man who wanted to cook for her seemingly out of nowhere, Anjuli accepted. Steve dove into his Haitian roots and shared a traditional meal with Anjuli for their first official date, which is still Anjuli’s favorite meal Steve makes.

Rooted in food and family values, they began to talk more about future ambitions and Steve realized Anjuli was also in the process of buying her first home. With his experience in the matter and his growing love for Anjuli, Steve toured homes, negotiated finances, and ultimately, helped Anjuli purchase her first home. Their love is one that was based on a foundation of supporting each other’s wildest dreams and biggest goals.

In October of 2013, Steve’s mother had unfortunately fallen ill with cancer and was in rehabilitation. During this difficult time, Steve leaned on Anjuli’s comfort and steadfast support. After hearing Steve talk about Anjuli and their relationship in those early days, Steve’s mother brought him close to her as she was lying down and said, ​ “She’s the one”. Steve knew then. Braving such a trying, emotional moment together at such an early stage of their relationship allowed them to grow and mature together with understanding and compassion. Unfortunately, Anjuli lost her grandmother and Steve lost his mother only within one month of each other. It was ultimately when they realized that the support, love, and empathy that they were able to provide one another was extremely rare and should be allowed to blossom further throughout their lives.

There were so many instances in which a missed call, a misaligned glance, or a difficult moment could have halted our love story, but it was ultimately what made us the strong, committed couple that we are today. Our ability to connect and show kindness to each other during each phase of our lives have sown the seeds for a beautiful family and a wonderful marriage.