How I First Met Your Mother

Dear W. Austin and K. Joy, It must have been a sunny day—at least, that's how I remember Austin. In my mind, Austin summers are permanently bright, hot, and full of possibility. I don't recall the exact date, but it must have been my first week in Austin. I was walking down the steps in front of the university library, trying to decide where to go for lunch. That was when I ran into this guy I had only known for a few days. Standing next to him was a new graduate student from China, her long black hair falling past her shoulders. Her name was Emma. She wanted to go to Dobie Center for lunch—there was a Wendy's there. “Why don't you show her the way?” he asked. Now, that was an excellent suggestion, except for one small problem: I had absolutely no idea where Dobie Center was. So I said, "Sure!" We ended up having lunch together at the Wendy's. I ordered only a burger. If I remember correctly, she got a meal with a baked potato. She carefully slit the potato open and topped it with butter, chives, cheese, and bacon. She told me she had worked in sales at IBM China for a year before coming to Austin. She definitely looked more confident and polished than I did. After all, up to that point I had been nothing but a full-time student. She had arrived in Austin at least a week before I did and was staying at her sister's place. "So, why did you come only two days before the semester started?" she asked, innocently. "Because every extra day costs me money I don't have,” I replied. Not exactly the kind of line you find in movies. Needless to say, neither of us had the slightest clue what fate had in store for us. Love. Dad 06/18/2026