They say don't find your honey where you make your money, but this love was bound to be found. The walk from the gym to the 7th-grade hall wasn't that far, but while working at the same middle school as teachers, our worlds were bound to collide. I first spotted Coach Brown at a student-faculty basketball game in which she played and my eyes were glued to the court, however, I didn't muster up the courage to spark a conversation with her until the following school year. After weeks of playful banter, Coach Brown finally made the walk from the gym to my classroom and we exchanged digits. From the first date up until now has been a blissfully developing love story :)

What was supposed to be Akia's dental school graduation date turned into a surprise proposal. During the craziest pandemic of our lifetimes, I knew I had to turn a sour moment into something unforgettable. Keeping such a secret kept me on edge and I tried my best not to spill the tea. What started out as a rainy day almost altered my plans, but I chose to stick with it. Some of our closest family and friends gathered together to assist with this special day. We had a mock "graduation" and I managed to distract her long enough for me to get down on one knee and ask her to become my wife as "Until the End of Time" by Justin Timberlake and Beyonce played in the background. OH! And she said YES of course. The rain then turned into tears (Akia crying from excitement), and then her tears were met with fireworks which almost got us evicted!