"Does your dad have the big house on Old Mill?" 15 year old Kaleb asked, as he approached me for the first time. We were both at a 2009 Greenville Football Game and had never seen each other before. It was only two months later, that he would send a message on Facebook wanting to hangout. Only 6 months passed before our young love would come to an end. Although we were not together, we remained close friends and never went very long without communication. Many years of friendship would rekindle our love for one another, and all of our differences began to fade away. We knew that we wanted to be together forever January 1, 2014 and that is when we began our journey together.

Art has always been something that Kaleb and I have a shared the same passion for. Martin Lawrence Gallery has especially played a large role in our relationship because that is where my dad collects all of his artwork from. One of Kaleb and I’s favorite artist is Robert Deyber. Deyber creates these illustrations of ‘pun’y humor. The titles of the paintings are what the seemingly random paintings symbolize. That being said, Kaleb and I have always enjoyed looking at his work together, each attempting to guess the intended meaning. It was a nice night in February that Kaleb and I decided to go check out the ‘new Robert Deyber painting’ that the local Martin Lawrence Gallery had just recieved. When I walked in, there was this amazing painting that took over most of the wall. It was of a large red balloon with a sign popping out of it. The curator commented “This one is titled, ‘Popping the Question.” It was in that moment that I recognized the silence around me and I read the banner that said “Will you marry me?” I looked to my left and there Kaleb was on one knee. I gasped, “Are you serious?!” I would have never imagined anything so amazing! I could not comprehend how Kaleb would have planned this painting, but then I learned that the painting had actually been commissioned just for me! It was an engagement gift from my father and Kaleb had been in contact with Deyber for months! I was not only surprised, but it was beautiful that something so important in our lives was a part of such an important day for us. We will also always love and cherish the painting and the memory that is carries.