This story of how we came to be is written by Kendrick, my amazing fiancé, who shares the journey from his perspective. He’s captured the moments that brought us together—beginning with a college dorm room and blossoming into a love that has only grown stronger with time. ❤︎ It all started in a college dorm room in 2017…where fate brought Daria and my sister, Brielle, together as roommates. At the time, I had no idea that my sister’s new college friend and teammate from Russia would one day become the love of my life. Daria—fresh from Russia and ready to take on the world—became college roommates with my sister, Brielle, at Howard Junior College. The two quickly became best friends, bonding over basketball (Injuries), late-night study sessions, and the kind of friendship that feels more like family. While Daria was busy making moves on the court playing basketball, I was just “Brielle’s brother” in the background (totally paying attention to the game of course), unaware that one day, this amazing, driven, and kind-hearted young woman would change my life forever. Fast forward to 2020—a year none of us will ever forget. When the world seemed to hit pause, something incredibly special started for us. With international borders closing and the world turned upside down, Daria couldn’t return home to Russia. Instead, she came to stay with our family in Houston and what started as a temporary arrangement quickly became something much more permanent. Suddenly, the young woman I knew only as "Brielle’s Russian Roommate" was now someone I got to share mornings with over coffee, laugh with during long walks, bond with over board-games, late-night talks and a whole lot of action packed American movies. Somewhere between cooking dinners together and navigating a global pandemic, we fell—hard. We like to think that while the world was shutting down, our hearts were just beginning to open. Love has a funny way of finding you in the most unexpected moments, and for us, it arrived masked, quarantined, and completely unplanned. From a college dorm room to family dinners in Houston, to now planning forever together—we’re so excited to share this next chapter with all of you.❤︎