the journey continues...

Darrell: We technically met through our home church, Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Beaumont, Texas. We both attended our church since we were grade-school kids. Although we saw each other every Sunday, we never really communicated with one another. It wasn't until I saw her walking in the hallways of Central Medical Magnet High School with our mutual friend/church member, Kayla that our journey began. Brianna: It was the end of the school day and I was walking outside with my best friend, Kayla. Darrell was walking behind, slid himself between us with his arms around, and randomly asked me, "So you taking your man to prom?". I looked at him weird and said, "What man?". He says, "Well, you should take me then." I jokingly laugh him off and told him that I might need to take him up on that, because I was dateless. In reality, I had no intention on going with a sophomore to my senior prom, so I just ignored him.

Darrell: I pursued Brianna for the next 4 months nonstop, just begging for an opportunity to take her to prom. My opportunity came two weeks before prom after receiving nothing more than a picture of her prom dress. I jumped up and ran to Burlington to grab a shirt and vest to match. Even though that's all I received, I was ecstatic for the chance to show her I was serious. On prom day, I'll always remember walking into her house and there she stood in her dress beautiful as ever, with a mouth full of a Church's Chicken drumstick. I was captivated by her beauty and her laugh was contagious. Brianna: Yes, I continued to ignore him for months. But as prom grew closer and I still did not have a date, I just said whatever and told him he could go with me. I remember telling my mom that once prom was over, he could just go home and I'll ride with one of my friends. The funniest thing was that once it was actually over, I didn't want him to leave because we had so much fun that day. I remember during the car ride there, we talked about everything under the sun and it was like we had been best friends forever. He was the perfect gentlemen during prom, holding my shoes, opening my doors, and checking on me to make sure I was having a good time. He also fit in with my friends so naturally, it just worked. We stayed up all night partying with my friends until his dad called him at 3AM to come home and to bring his truck back (LOL). From that day on, we were inseparable. We were together EVERY DAY that summer of my senior year, until I left for college in August 2014. He even went to my senior skip day! We continued to have a long-distance relationship that spanned across 8 years. We had ups and downs, break-ups (3 to be exact), and A LOT of growing pains, which is to expected from 16-17 year old teenagers. At the end of the day, we made it and I would not change a single thing! *Cue "We Made It" by Drake*...

Darrell: Trying to plan a proposal for Brianna was like trying to take the LSAT without studying. Brianna had this perfect proposal planned in her head and I was determined to exceed every expectation. The more I planned, the more she changed her mood towards the proposal. I finally said forget it, I'm going to do things my way. I planned this extravagant proposal that would be at the Elegante' Hotel in Beaumont with all of our closest family and friends. I disguised the proposal as an annual New Year's Eve Party her Aunt Mandy throws. Everything was done: decorations, food, guest list, I just had to wait for the day to come. But as luck would have it, we took a Caribbean cruise a couple weeks before to celebrate our graduations and I contracted COVID-19, which I later gave to her. I had to cancel everything! I sensed the urgency of an engagement from Brianna so I had to think on my feet and devise another plan with our parents. I found a nice restaurant in Houston and had the outside gazebo decorated with lights and candles. The swiftness of planning threw me for a loop because I took her out to eat a few hours before, so when I pressured her into date night, she was suspicious and knew something was up. I felt her piercing eyes staring at me as I nervously drove to the restaurant. If anyone knows me, I talk.....a lot. And I did not say one word in the drive over because I was going over my lines in the truck. As we valeted the truck, I saw the gazebo in the distance lit, with her mom, my parents, and my sister Brittini. As we walked over she began to notice the decorations and began to laugh. She asked, "What did you do?!". When we reached the gazebo she was smiling from ear to ear, I was frozen admiring her and realizing that there is no one else on this earth I would rather spend the rest of my life with. I couldn't even ask her, I just looked in her eyes and placed the ring on her finger. But in my mind I said "Finally, I've made you my woman for life."