We're getting Married!

Long before we ever started dating, I had already noticed Bama. Back in her sophomore year and my freshman year, she was my sister Alleigh's friend - which, admittedly, did not exactly work in my favor as much as Alleigh and her sister, Brietta, had tried. I liked her then, but she was fully determined not to have a boyfriend, and I knew better than to assume I had much of a chance as her friend's little brother. Still, I tried. On Valentine's Day in 2022, I got her a gift. Technically, my sister helped by buying it - and, in true big-sister fashion, she also ruined the surprise by telling Bama about it before she even got to class. So the romance may not have been smooth, but the intention was there. After that semester, life moved on, and we did not really talk much again until February 2025, when we reconnected. Once I had the chance, I spent nearly a month trying to convince her to go out with me. Even then, Bama made one thing very clear: this was not a date. She was reluctant from the start, and she made sure I knew it. I was only allowed to call it a "hangout," and under no circumstances was I to confuse it with anything more. Of course, the second I picked her up, all I could think was, wow, she looks beautiful. So, while she was determined to keep things casual, I was already trying to act normal and not completely lose my mind. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. Through most of dinner, I could barely hold a conversation. The whole night had that epic kind of awkwardness that comes with really liking someone and not wanting to mess it up. But by the end of the evening, she had pulled me out of my shell, and somehow, we were laughing and actually having fun. Then we ended up wandering around Walmart together for much longer than either of us would probably like to admit. Somewhere along the way, we found ourselves in the flower section. She picked out a flower for me, and I picked out one for her. By the time we left, I had a yellow and white rose tucked into my jacket and a feeling I couldn't shake. After I took her home - at a reasonable time, of course - I went back to my family, held up that rose, and told them, "She is the one for me. I've got to marry her." She may have called it a hangout. She may have made it very clear that it was definitely not a date. But for me, that was the night I knew she is my forever.