During the celebration bowl in Atlanta in 2018 we crossed paths while we were at suite lounge day party. From the party, Kendall slid in my dm's and liked my pictures on Instagram. We talked occasionally via Instagram and eventually exchanged numbers. In 2019, Kendall mentioned he accepted a job offer and would be moving to Charlotte, NC.

Our first time hanging out was June 2019, shortly after his first day at work. Kendall was in the kitchen trying to cook; he pretended not to know what he was doing so that I would instead cook the meal for him. We would get together throughout the week, drink wine, and play games, mainly phase 10, and of course, he lost every time. It’s funny that one of the very first things we started doing together is playing board and card games, which further explains the friendly competition between us. Friendly competition, motivating each other, pushing each other, however, you decide to put it. As we approached fall 2019, I shared with Kendall that I was going back to school for my MBA; well, of course, he would not let me have more degrees than him, so he decided to go back too. The next thing I knew, we were in school together, helping each other with assignments; we even took a class together. Of course, finishing school first became a competition too, Kendall won. But it is okay because that meant I had my graduation moment to myself and didn't have to share. In 2020, I watched him purchase his first house, one of the first life goals he ever mentioned to me. He laid the foundation for our family to go on and purchase a home together in 2023. I have enjoyed watching us and our love grow over the years. The rest is history.

When did I know he was my boo?

In July 2019, I was headed on a family trip to DC and needed some support with picking Bruno up from the boarding facility. I asked him if he would pick him up and take him to my house because I would be on the road. He agreed, so I added him to Bruno's profile as an authorized pick up person and gave him a key to take Bruno home when he picked him up. To my surprise, while I was in DC, Kendall texted to ask if he could take Bruno home with him. I was a little confused, but I agreed. The truth is, he didn't like the fact that Bruno would be alone for a few hours. This was a turning point for me because one, he accepted my dog, at the time, Bruno was my lifeline and my best friend, it was just us two. Bruno is a good boy, but dogs, in general, are a handful. The love and care that he showed my dog spoke volumes to the man that he is and the man that I would want to build with. He then proceeded to accept a second dog, PJay. My brother had just got a dog when he passed. I didn't want to let go of him, but I surely could not let go of his dog.

I met Heather my freshman year at NC A&T. We attended a birthday dinner for her sister, Jaymie. Considering that we were freshmen, and weren’t allowed to have transportation on campus—Heather arranged the perfect Uber, (Her boyfriend). Yes, her then boyfriend was my transportation to the dinner. Little did either of them know at the time, but I knew one day, she would be mine.

3 years later I ran into Heather again at a Celebration Bowl event in Atlanta. When I saw her I gave her an extra special hug making sure she could smell my new Jimmy Choo cologne. In my head, once she smelled me she was sure to fall in love. While we didn’t have much conversation that night, I made note of the fact that she was not wearing a ring. Opportunity came knocking and I answered.

That night I decided to shoot my shot the best way I knew how…on Instagram. I liked a few of her pictures and waited to see how she responded. To my surprise, she liked some of my pictures too. A few days later I was hanging in Atlanta and ran into her sister Jaymie. Without even saying hey, Jaymie came up to me and asked “Are you trying to talk to my sister?” My nerves got the best of me and I said no. I thought if she mentioned me to her sister then maybe she’s feeling me. That gave me the green light to ‘as we say’, “slide into her DMs” (direct messages).

After a few conversations via Instagram I decided to ask her out to dinner to celebrate me being appointed Mr. A&T. She actually said no and I was confused, did I misread the signs? I continued to make small talk with Heather in an effort to not give up. Some big changes were taking place in my world, I just graduated from college and accepted a role with Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. Ironically, the news of my relocation made its way to Heather. She reached out to me to confirm and almost overnight I noticed her responding to my messages faster. What a coincidence?

In addition to my college graduation I also graduated from Heather’s DM. The phone number had been secured. I realized being in Charlotte gave her a little more motivation. I decided to make a bold move despite my last failed attempt. I asked her over for dinner after my first day at Bank of America. I was not disappointed this time because she said yes! My plan was to cook chicken alfredo but of course when she got there I pretended to not know what I was doing. She put me out the kitchen and made it herself. Bingo! I now knew she could cook. Her Alfredo was a HIT!

Later that week she invited me over for dinner at her place. When I got there her dog, Bruno ran to smell. I realized that he was trying to feel me out. After a few seconds of Bruno’s shakedown we immediately built a connection.  Bruno and I would toss the ball and play all over Heather’s apartment until she yelled at us both. Once bruno became my best friend, I felt I had received his approval to date Heather. It was a similar situation with my buddy PJ as we adopted him into our home.

I’ve always appreciated my relationship with PJ and Bruno; and watching Heather care for them—I knew she would be the best person to build my life with. Being with Heather, gives me great joy and balance. There’s never a moment where Heather lacks comfort or empathy. She constantly finds ways to boost my confidence and my ego. Therefore, asking Heather to be my wife is the best decision I’ve ever made.