We first cross paths at a board game night during Naomi's PhD orientation in Princeton, 2021. Over the next year, we end up serving in the same church and getting to know each other better. As time goes on, Naomi is wholeheartedly convinced she has found Daniel's betrothed. On August 17th 2022, at 00:05am, she sends him a voice message about how great he is...for someone else. She sets him up on a blind date, incredibly pleased with herself. It does not occur to her that Daniel had been contemplating asking her out. Nor does she foresee the unexpected turn of her dreams. As Daniel waits to go on his blind date, Naomi finds her sleep plagued by dreams about him at the altar and, all too late, is filled with regret. Should she have married those warm brown eyes?

 

Fortunately for her, the blind date does not materialize. Daniel is relieved. Maybe he can ask Naomi out now. Our paths keep crossing. Co-working at Firestone library. Volunteering at church. Rides home with music blaring. We laugh until it hurts. We talk about hard things. Ironically, Daniel, who rarely reads fiction, is on "Emma"by Jane Austen, a book wherein Emma gets into scrapes trying to set up other couples, only to find that the love of her life is right under her nose. Our story plays out in the meta-verse and we take this as evidence that God indeed has a sense of humour.

 

A few weeks later, we both volunteer at a middle school retreat. Naomi puts Daniel to the test. Can he survive a weekend with energetic 10-year-olds on just four hours of sleep? He does and Naomi's crush becomes real. This is dad material. Nevertheless, it takes a rather major digression for Daniel to be convinced that he has a chance at a real date- Naomi did just set him up with someone else... Fortunately, it does not take Naomi long to do something awkward to break the ice.

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The scene: middle school gym. Another camp volunteer comes up and loudly asks Daniel if he is single and wants to date. Daniel, ever the cool cucumber, brushes it off. Within ear shot, Naomi gets the same question. Unable to hide her feelings and embarrassed they might be showing, she panics. She goes up to Daniel and grabs his cheeks.

 

Her face growing more crimson by the second, she proceeds to blurt out words. Any words she can find. To her dismay, she hears herself telling Daniel that he is cute and asks him if he regrets missing the blind date. Her humiliation complete, Naomi walks away. She is in the mood to dissolve into the sky. But Daniel finds her endearing. Looking at her, he sees sunshine. At last, evidence of mutual attraction. 

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The day after the retreat, we drop off some heavy coats at a thrift store. We wait for the traffic light on Nassau Street to turn green, somehow like our relationship status. Daniel seizes his chance. "I had a really good tim---"Naomi cuts him off, still uncertain if Daniel fancies her. Determined not to be friend zoned and rejected, she turns abruptly to go. Daniel summons the courage to push back,"No, No, would you like to go on a date?" He blurts out, half shy. "I'd love to". 

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Our first date is fun, amusing and deeply honest- so real, in fact, that Naomi's face goes numb from nervousness. lol. As the evening draws to a close and, Naomi stops to enjoy the stars, which she rarely sees in Dublin City back home. She points them out to Daniel. He is baffled. There are so few! He thinks this must be his cue to put his arm around her gently, leading to a humorous moment when Naomi awkwardly shakes him off, mildly confused. #only-child-raised-in-an-all-girls-school

 

But as time passes, Naomi gets the hang of hugging and eases into a real snuggle bug. Daniel is chuffed about this. We continue to laugh. We share a mug. We talk through difference. We hug until we smell like one another. Eventually, we make a promise to enter into marriage covenant, built on love and respect.