Our story all started when a friend of mine asked me to come to her highschool graduation. I didn't know anyone who was going to be there and I did not want to sit alone. So I messaged her brother who I didn't personally know, I had just heard of from time to time. I asked him if I could please sit with his family because I didn't know anyone who was going. He messaged me back and said "yes ma'am you can". So they day before her graduation I was thinking to myself (how in the world am I going to find him and family in this HUGE place with 1,000s of people?) So I messaged him again and asked if he would ride with me so I wouldn't have to search for them. He message back and said that was fine. The next day I picked him up and we were on the way to ECU where the graduation was taking place. I looked over at him because I had truly never seen him in person just social media and pictures. When he turned and looked at me I couldn't help but just stare..he had the MOST BEAUTIFUL EYES. I remeber looking back to the road thinking ( lawd lauren don't even get any ideas lol) I had just walked away from a horrible relationship ship and I was not ready to start another one! My son Landen had just turned 1 at the time and he was with me. He was such a mommy's boy, he didn't like other people holding him. As we are waiting in line to go in Landen wanted to get down out of my arms I told him okay but you have to hold mommy's hand. He stood beside me for a minute and pulled my hand away from mine, went over to dj and put his arms up for DJ to pick him up. I WAS BLOWN AWAY, Landen never let anyone pick him up other than family. This melted my heart in a way seeing such a young man be so open and comfortable with a child he had never met. We finally got inside and sat down and Landen wanted DJ the entire time..or he wanted to pull and bang of one of DJs sisters heads lol! Well after the it was over I took him back to his house & hung out with everyone for a little while then I left..

That night I just wanted to see him more I wanted more time with him..I didn't know why, I just did! I told him he could come to where I was a if he wanted to. He texted me back and said "na, I'm chillin with my boys tonight sorry" so I knew he obviously had ZERO intrest in me. Well a couple days went by and his sister was having her graduation cookout. He texted me and said you coming up here and I had told him i don't know maybe. He told me to bring my ass up there lol. Well my emotions had already been toyed with in the past relationship than I really wasn't ready to start anything..so I didn't go because I didn't want anything to turn into anything. That night he texted me and I ignored it. For the next 2 weeks he continued to try to contact me and I was very short with him and sometimes I didn't even answer him back. One morning I woke up and my car had been broken into $600.00 was stolen from me along with some other things. I was already in the hole struggling from being on my own after leaving a horrible relationship. That afternoon I was driving down hwy 43 and DJ calls me and asked me what I was doing. He told me he was at Mills getting gas. Mills is on 43 so I told him to stay there I was about to be by there I would stop by and say hey to him. When I got there I told him about my money and asked him for a cigarette. He went inside bought me a pack and handed me $20.00. I told him I couldn't take that, but he insisted. He then told me to ride with him down the road to get a trailer so I figure what the hell why not...well that ended with him asking me to go on a date with him that comming up weekend..

The Saturday I was so nervous, I'm not the type to get nervous about a date or hangout with any guy but this date was different. It took me hours to figure out the perfect outfit and I paced back and forth contemplating weather or not I was going to show up and go. I decided to go and picked him up. I asked him to drive because I hate driving. He asked me to pick anywhere I wanted. I'm not picky, I'm pretty simple so I picked my favorite place..Bills Hot dogs in Little Washington. We got our hotdogs and sat in my car and ate them and talked and laughed for hours. It felt so good to just spend time with someone who was so understanding of my feelings, non-judgmental, and someone who made me laugh as much as I did. After I took him home and I went home..

The next following weeks we would text here and there but I had not seem him since our date. His sister Kayla and me were going to a party and he was going to be there. We got there and everyone was having some drinks and having a great time. Alot of us were out on the back porch talking and it seemed like everyone just walked inside and me and Dj were standing outside by ourselves. I remeber looking over down at the cars and Dj came up behind me and rapped him arms around me and told me I looked beautiful. I may have gotten the butterfly's when he said that. I had been soo hurt recently that little things like that ment so much to me. I turned around to talk to him and he just leaned in a kissed me!! I just frozen..and stared at him. He said "I'm sorry I just had to kiss you" that entire night I couldn't stop staring at him, I had this werid feeling in my stomach that whole night that I don't think I had ever felt...that small kiss felt so perfect.

The next couple weeks we hangout anytime we could. And on the weekends Landen was with his father I would stay with him. We would stay up all night laughing, snuggling, midnight walmart trips, take out food and movies in bed. Things felt so perfect. I truly didn't ever want to leave him. The minute I had to go to work or he had to go to work or we had to go home to different houses I was missing him...liking him and being around him was so easy, so fun, and so comfortable..I had not felt any sort of happiness in such along time..

At the time I worked at Adams Car Wash. Work was slow, money was tight, and there was no making ends meet. I had 1 option and that was to move to where my family was in the outterbanks and try to get back on my feet for my son. When I told DJ this he said "you are NOT leaving me" I told him that I had no other option. He told me to just try to find a place that is cheaper that I could afford and he would try to help me a little. A few days later someone had put up on fb a house for rent. 3 bedroom in Grifton and needed someone moved in asap. I told him about it but told him there is no way I can come up with 480 deposit and 480 1st months rent today. He told me to come see him and he handed me the money..ALL of it and told me to go get that house. I fell to pieces.. I had never met someone so selfless and someone who had such a big heart. I cried all the way to Grifton. It truly ment the world to me. After I had the keys him and his friend Lloyd went to my storage unit and moved ALL of my stuff in for me. No words could describe how much I appreciated the things he was doing for someone he had not even known for 2 months.

DJ may have been a little wild and got into a little bit a trouble a couple years before I met him. So some people that knew of his past still thought he was that same person. When my family, friends and other people found out I was hanging out with DJ Phelps..I caught hell from everyway possible. I did still stood beside him regardless of people thoughts and opinions. This man had done more for me in the 2 months I had known him than anyone ever. I saw NO bad. I saw a few mistakes made in the past that he regretted but never did I see bad in him. I had a 1 year old and of corse the people and family on his side did not really approve. I mean I wouldn't have either. Some girl with a baby that doesn't have her shit together dating my son or brother. I would not have liked it either. But DJ didn't care. Him and Landen had this cute little friendship and he saw a single mom trying her hardest to be the best she can for her son, trying to pick her self up out of a hole, and a women who just because she has a baby, deserves to be loved just like any other women. The negativity on both sides did not stop us or change our mind a bit.