I met Joseph in 2012 in Christchurch, New Zealand, at the after-party of a theater show I was in. He showed interest and even asked me out, but nothing came of it.

The next time I saw him, at a boozy night out with mutual friends, I chided him for his lack of consistency. The result was a messy one-night stand. Neither of us was at our best and let’s just say it was never spoken of again. Unsurprisingly, there was a bit of ghosting afterward. But we kept running into each other.

I finished drama school that same year and we found ourselves in the same friendship and improvisation group. We met several times a week, eventually shaking off any remaining awkwardness and becoming friends.

A few months later, I joined the writing team of the same TV show Joseph was working on, and the amount of time we spent together exploded – we were regularly pulling all-nighters and working closely together. We were naturally drawn to each other at work because we have the same sense of humor and enjoy writing the same kind of sketches. We both especially enjoyed working on the songs.

This platonic, professional vibe lasted for almost five years. Eventually, we spent so much time together that I realized he was actually my best friend.

It was around this time that my long-term relationship broke down and we formed our comedy duo Two Hearts. Then the lines between us started to blur a little. People kept asking us if we got drunk and got back together. And we kind of did, but it was much more boring. We just held hands after a gig at the casino and drove each other crazy.

Not long after, in the winter of 2017, on a weekend getaway with friends, we sealed the deal. Realizing we were definitely out of the friend zone, we sat down a few days later to have an absurdly formal conversation about how things were going. Joseph is a sensitive guy, but he doesn’t exactly wear his heart on his sleeve, so I was genuinely taken aback when he said, “Isn’t that what everyone wants? To fall in love with their best friend?”

I realized he was right: I knew everything about him and there would be no surprises. It was a whirlwind and we were suddenly a full-fledged couple. Friends and family weren’t surprised at how things had turned out and all the positive affirmations we got from them made it feel so natural – like we were on the right track.

Not long after we were officially together, this one day happened: We had this long, stressful day at the TV show, followed by an intense Two Hearts rehearsal. After all that, I went to see a Fast and Furious movie with him, which is not my thing at all.

As I sat in the theater wondering what the hell I was doing, I realized that despite the day (and the movie choice) I was still having fun. That’s when I knew I was in trouble. I was in love with this guy.

In the years that followed, between work, our show, improvisation and being a couple, we spent every second of the day together. Joseph managed to propose to me the weekend before my 30th birthday in 2020; our New Year’s Eve wedding was the best.

It can be difficult at times that our professional and personal lives are so intertwined, but we manage and mostly have fun doing it. Joseph is incredibly supportive and we find each other hilarious, which is so important. Where there is laughter, there is joy.