If you ask Bria……… The last time that I had been in Colorado was when I was eleven years old, attending an NBA All Star Weekend. Little did I know that seventeen years later that I would be back in Colorado meeting the love of my life. My girlfriend and I drove from St. Louis to Colorado for the Sonic Bloom Festival on the Hummingbird Ranch. Over twelve thousand people descended upon the campgrounds to enjoy the artists and bands. On the evening of the first day of the festival, I was relaxing with some friends in this soothing meditation and prayer space. There were blankets and pillows for sitting and candles everywhere! People were doing reiki, yoga, chatting with friends and enjoying the vibes. As I was taking in all the sites, a good-looking guy wearing a black and red Allen Iverson jersey, caught my eye. I remember telling my friend that if he comes our way, I am going to compliment his jersey because AI was one of my favorite NBA players. As he got closer to where I was sitting, I complimented his jersey and shortly after we were chatting. After our brief chat he left to meet back up with his friends, but it was not too long after that he returned and asked me for my phone number. For the next three days, Gerard and I spent time dancing, talking about our interests, families and any and everything that crossed our minds. When the festival ended, we said our goodbyes and headed back to our home states, Gerard northeast to New Jersey, and me to the Midwest to Missouri not really knowing if we would see each other again. We stayed in contact by talking on the phone for hours. A couple months passed, and it was decided that Gerard would come to St. Louis to visit me and meet my family. Right away, my parents, grandma and aunties fell in love with his dazzling smile, friendly personality and charming disposition and just like that he had won them over! Shortly after, I was off to New Jersey to do the same. His family welcomed me with open arms! Over the next year we continued to visit each other, attending weddings, concerts, birthdays, holidays, and other special events. On our one-year anniversary of our meeting, I moved to New Jersey. I believe that our meeting on June 16, 2022, was divine intervention. With that being said, I know that God had a hand in bringing Gerard and I together to form a lifelong partnership. I used to joke that Tupac was the love of my life that’s why I was happily single. I never would have imagined that I would meet a man who would transform my life and views of love in ways I never knew I needed. I thank God every day. If you ask Gerard……… It was a weekend Bachelor party getaway in the Colorado Mountains, for one of my buddies about to tie the knot. Just a group of guys celebrating at the Sonic Bloom Festival. The ranch was filled with a variety of events, music, art, dancing, camping and food with thousands of people. It all started with me taking a walk to see what this place had to offer. It was supposed to be just that, a walk to look around and grab some food and enjoy the music, but little did I know that it would not be just any old walk, it was a walk that ended up being a walk that changed the trajectory of my entire life. When I first caught a glimpse of Bria, she was just hanging with a group of her friends, but then she stopped and smiled at me and complimented my A.I. throwback jersey. Little did I know that she was a huge fan of the NBA and really did know a lot about one of the game’s greatest guards in the NBA. I must admit, I got a little shy after the compliment and continued to walk away from her in the opposite direction, but then something came over me to go back and at least introduce myself. So, I turned around and decided to give it shot and ask her for her number. I never would have thought that on this bachelor getaway, that I would meet the love of my life.