[Couple Spotlight] The Fasholas: “She’s always by the book; he’s too relaxed,” Two conflicting colleagues who collapsed ego for love

Sometimes, when love comes knocking, it intentionally match makes people with conflicting personalities. He feels she’s not her type. She thinks they can never have anything to do together. However, that is their opinion. 

When love shows itself, it is usually beyond the usual metrics. Two people who hitherto would never exchange greetings now professing care and love for each other.

This sums up the story of my couple in focus this week. One is a typical office woman. Straight to business and doesn’t like mixing business with pleasure. The other is flexible and much more relaxed. One of those with the ideologies that life doesn’t have to be more hard to get expected results.

Guess what? Both are stuck in same office and have had one or two unpleasant encounters. Yet, this is where the love butterfly decided to peach. When love took the centre stage, compromises were made and the new love birds adjusted accordingly while still respecting their respectively personality traits.

Join me as we hear directly from the horses’ mouths…

 

1. Can you take us back to how your love story started?

Mr Fashola: We didn’t start as friends. We were colleagues in the same office in Ikeja, and if I’m being honest, we didn’t really like each other at first. She was very direct, very structured, and always by the book. I was more flexible and didn’t always agree with how she handled things. Most of our early conversations were work-related and sometimes tense.

Mrs Fashola: I found him a bit too relaxed for someone in such a fast-paced environment. We clashed on a few tasks because I like things done a certain way. Over time, I started noticing that behind that calm attitude was someone who actually paid attention to details in his own way.

 

2. What was the moment you knew “this is the one”?

Mr Fashola: There was a period when the office was going through major pressure, and everyone was stretched. We had to work late almost every day. That was when I began to see a different side of her…not just the strict colleague, but someone who was committed, reliable, and quietly supportive.

Mrs Fashola: It was when I had a personal issue that affected my work. He stepped in to help cover for me professionally. That level of understanding made me see him differently.

 

3. How many years have you been together?

Mr Fashola: We’ve known each other for 13 years.

Mrs Fashola: We’ve been married for 10 years.

 

4. What has been your secret to keeping the spark alive all these years, especially after the arrival of kids?

Mr Fashola: We respect each other’s individuality. We didn’t lose ourselves completely in marriage or parenting.

Mrs Fashola: We communicate like colleagues sometimes…we check in, we plan, we align. It helps us stay connected.

 

5. How do you both make each other feel special, even in small ways? What fun habits have stayed with you throughout your marriage?

Mr Fashola: I send her random messages during the day, sometimes about nothing important, just to make her smile.

Mrs Fashola: I correct him when he makes small mistakes . That hasn’t changed. One habit we’ve kept is discussing our day in detail, almost like a debrief.

 

6. How do you handle disagreements or tough moments now, compared to your early years?

Mr Fashola: In the early days, we approached disagreements like we were still at work…trying to prove a point.

Mrs Fashola: Now we approach it differently. It’s about understanding and resolving.

 

7. What’s one thing your partner still does that melts your heart?

Mr Fashola: Her discipline. It shows in everything she does.

Mrs Fashola: His calmness. It balances me.

 

8. What was one of the biggest challenges you faced together, and how did you overcome it?

Mr Fashola: Transitioning from colleagues to partners wasn’t easy. We had to redefine boundaries and expectations.

Mrs Fashola: We communicated honestly and gave each other time to adjust.

 

9. What advice would you give to younger couples hoping for a lasting marriage?

Mr Fashola: Don’t rush connection. Let understanding grow.

Mrs Fashola: Learn to respect your differences.

 

10. If you could sum up your marriage in one word or sentence, what would it be?

Mr Fashola: Balanced.

Mrs Fashola: Two different people who learned to grow in the same direction.