Once upon a Time...

This is no "Romeo & Juliet" novel but a simple love story that turned into so much more! The period during Covid had so many negatives, but for me it had a bright spot. Keep reading... here's how I remember it: 3-21-21: I was about to graduate college & had no idea what I wanted to do other than continue on the path of becoming a CPA. That weekend my roommate & I decided to go out for drinks. Since Covid, Friday nights were uneventful so we decided to head home early. When we got back, I was randomly scrolling through my phone and ran across Tori’s Instagram via a mutual friend from Queens. I was 1/2 paying attention to my phone and 1/2 talking to my roommate & remember saying “I need to just focus on graduating & passing this CPA exam”. But before I closed my phone, I figured I would give this girl “Tori” a follow just in case our paths ever crossed since we both were in the Charlotte area… and because I thought she was absolutely gorgeous! Little did I know that spontaneous click would change my life one day forever! On Sunday I had just finished tax returns & found myself on Tori’s Instagram page once more thinking “my gosh this woman is really gorgeous & I have GOT to say something NOW if I ever plan on saying anything at all”. Thank you Lord for giving me the right words to say because I miraculously got a reply! Early on our conversations were sporadic because of our hectic schedules but I remember them still being very meaningful even though they were brief. So I did what any normal guy does who is talking to someone way out of their league & decided to shoot for the stars & ask her out on a date. 4-11-21: I had just finished up 2 Sunday soccer league games, went home to shower & sat on the couch waiting for the time to come to head to Cabo Fish Taco to meet Tori for our first in-person date. Some of you may already be laughing because you KNOW how much she loves Mexican food & are not surprised at all that she chose a Taco place as our first date. I arrive at Cabo early to make sure I got a seat, but I did not anticipate her being a “little” late so before I knew it I had inhaled an entire basket of chips & salsa before she stepped foot in the door. Thankfully a refill came before she ever knew. Anyway, when I first saw her in person I knew I was never getting a second date! I mean, how could I? She was a perfect 12/10 and I looked like a generous 6/10. So, I immediately prayed for God to take control of the conversation because there was a 0% chance I could do it on my own. To say the least it was the best first date I had ever been on. And it was at least enough to get her back for a second! How? I genuinely don’t know. Could it have been my witty sense of humor or ingenious questions? Maybe it was the worst hamstring cramp of my life that scared her to death like I was having a heart attack or something. But once she saw I was ok she proceeded to laugh at me for the following 10 minutes. I’m not exactly sure how I got that second date & I’m not too sure Tori even knows, but there is no doubt in my mind that we were meant to be together. For me it was her true love for God that radiated in everything she did. It was also her love for family, friends, pets, & her ability to hold great conversations. Oh, and of course how can we not acknowledge her being the most beautiful girl I have ever seen! Tori is the first person I have ever met that I have truly trusted right off the bat. Our first date was as if we had been best friends for years. There were never any awkward moments, no long pauses, no forcing of conversations. She made everything so easy and so enjoyable that I had almost forgotten I was at a Mexican restaurant in Charlotte scarfing down my SECOND basket of chips! I knew after our first date I would put every ounce of effort into dating her for the rest of my life. Thankfully I got a 2nd date & many more afterward. I will continue to make time to date her well into our married life.

I will never forget the way I felt the first day Blake messaged me. If you’re hopeful this is a love story taken straight from a fairytale you would be mistaken. Did I have butterflies & a warm fuzzy feeling? Not hardly. I noticed he randomly started following me on IG in March of 2021 & messaged me two days later. My initial thought was “who is this random guy”? We had 1 mutual friend from Queens, so at least I knew he wasn’t a stalker. But I still had no idea why he began following me & was now trying to have a conversation with me. But I must admit I was intrigued by his very first DM since he mentioned my golden retrievers & love for Disney all in one sentence. As our conversations progressed, I became more & more impressed with his witty sense of humor & ability to hold deep conversations through social media. However, I’ve never been good at checking IG messages, so our conversations were sporadic at best. At the time, I was about to graduate from UNCC & living back home an hour away. Blake was about to graduate from Queens & start his career in Charlotte. After a few weeks of messaging, he asked me out on a date. I will never forget traveling on a bus talking to my good friend Kaleigh about my upcoming date with this random guy the following day (April 11th, 2021). I was excited yet skeptical about meeting up with this “handsome stranger” from IG, but had an inner peace that was inexplicable. Growing up, I was never the type of girl to go on a lot of dates or was a girl that had to have a boyfriend at all times. I was picky but knew what I wanted & wasn’t willing to settle for anything less. I knew the Lord had a man hand-picked just for me & I needed to be patient & wait. I don’t remember who picked the location to meet for our date, but since it was Cabo Fish Taco I’m going to assume it was me since I’m a fanatic for Mexican food. The way I knew it was a great first date was because I barely ate any chips & salsa & didn’t even finish my meal. That had to be a first for me. If I cared what this guy thought enough to not finish my meal, then it was confirmation he must be something special. It was hands down my favorite first date I had ever been on. I felt as though we were both truly being ourselves & there was never a dull moment in conversation. He knew how to make me laugh & I continued laughing as he doubled over in the middle of the restaurant with a horrible cramp in his leg. I tried my hardest to show concern, but my uncontrolled laughter kept spilling out. After our first date, we continued on several more before he asked me to be his girlfriend. Since I like to give insightful thought to my decisions I told him I was flattered but would have to think about it. Poor guy, he sure had to work hard to pursue a relationship with me. But Blake didn’t give up. He continued to be patient & allow me the time & space I needed to be sure. Looking back, I am so grateful for his persistence & fortitude while I decided if I wanted to be in a long distance relationship or not. As I reflect I can see how the Lord was present & at work through this period. He was certainly working on my heart and Blake’s at the same time. Blake showed me how a woman should be treated in a relationship. He continued to put the Lord first & pursue Him above all else. This was a quality I was certainly looking for in a future husband one day. Blake was not afraid to share his faith journey right off the bat. But I could tell it was genuine and not just because he knew it was something that was important to me in a partner. Someone once told me, “When you stop looking & trying so hard, your soulmate will pop into your life when you least expect it”. I can definitely say our relationship began unexpectedly. Although it didn’t start out as that fairytale love story, it definitely ends with a “happily ever after”. The butterflies & warm fuzzies came with time & I am so thankful for the man God picked out just for me.