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The first time Shawntia and Kerry crossed paths was a matter of chance. They were from opposite sides of the city, Kerry being a city boy and Shawntia living in the city's suburbs. But in the summer of 2003, in a move that may have been fate, their high schools held band camp the same week on the same campus, bringing the two together many miles away from their home. Kerry was the first to notice his future spouse. Staring unamused out the window, he was surprised to see a single pop of color in a sea of stereotypical suburban band students. One chip in the cookie (as Kerry's mom would say), a black girl, minding her own business as she walked along the sidewalk. "Who's that black girl?" He yelled, perking up, alerting the attention to his fellow brass members. Now, the details here get murky. Shawntia would have you believe that Kerry yelled out the window towards her, but Kerry will assure you that he "wasn't stupid enough to just yell at a stranger out of a school bus window." But ultimately, later that day, he did introduce himself: "Hi, I'm Kerry Mitchell Allen." Both parties agree that this is exactly how that exchange took place.

If there is one aspect of Kerry and Shawntia’s relationship that sets it apart from most, it is their friendship, which has grown through most of their adult lives and has been documented through countless texts, social media messages, and posts. Even through various life-changing events, including moving across different locations, career changes, parenthood, and new titles, they couldn’t get rid of each other despite the relationships that have come and gone. Kerry was certain that as far as a lifetime partner was concerned, Shawntia was it. The ideal. The prototype. He would often tell her during their text message conversations that she should move to California. He was so blatantly honest, in fact, that she sincerely thought he was just joking. But in 2019, after having a first date at an Asian Night Market and spending several days exploring Los Angeles and Vegas, they realized their friendship served as a foundation for something deeper, officially creating a turning point in their relationship.

Despite being on opposite sides of the country, Kerry and Shawntia texted and called daily. They made plans to see each other often, which led to Kerry frequently visiting Shawntia across the country. However, fate had something else in store for them. When Kerry got stuck in DC due to the pandemic-related travel restrictions, they used the time to get to know each other better. They spent hours talking and ended up creating a web series called 'Isolationship'. It was then that they realized that they had a special bond that could withstand anything. As the pandemic continued to wreak havoc, Shawntia lost her job, and they had to decide whether to continue their long-distance relationship or take a chance and live together, this time in California. In the end, Shawntia chose to move to California to be with Kerry. Three years later, on Kerry's birthday, under the stunning meteor shower at Joshua's Tree, Kerry proposed to Shawntia, and she said yes. Their story is a testament to the fact that true love is worth the wait.