Our love story began on December 25th, 2022, at the family Christmas party hosted by Uncle Gabriel and Auntie Efe in Arlington, Texas. Before this gathering, I had met her a few times over the years at different family events in Dallas because she was close with and worked with my Aunt Mercy; however, I had never actually had a conversation with her. At this Christmas party, I was reintroduced to Deloris, and I was awestruck by her beauty. Randomly, we struck up a conversation in the hallway that led to a 45-minute talk about our different tastes in food, music, work, hobbies, and everything. This was our first real conversation since we've known each other over the years. I remember everyone walking by us, making googly eyes, and later they teased me about how long we talked. The following day, all of the cousins continued our tradition of going out for activities and dinner. We decided to go bowling and then eat at Yard House. While we were bowling, my cousin Chrissy came up to me and said, “You and Deloris would look so cute together. Y’all look good together. Do you like her? Do you want me to put y’all together?” I responded, “Oh yeah, she’s fine and seems really cool.” I didn’t even have her number yet, but I was like, okay, yeah, that’s fine. We were both working toward the same goal! After getting her number and spending weeks texting and talking on the phone, we had our first date on March 4th, 2023. We went to grab seafood and had another great time together. From there, we went on a string of dates across Houston and Dallas. Our connection showed up in the smallest ways; we would somehow end up matching outfits without planning. People thought we had been together for years, even married, and it was only our second date, and we wore matching black-and-white stripes. By April, I knew I wanted to be with Deloris, and I asked her to officially be my girlfriend after we enjoyed one of our favorite activities: eating good food. From that day on, I knew I didn’t just want to try every restaurant with her; I wanted to experience every facet of life with her. Deloris has a heart of gold that I want to continuously mine and protect with my life. I have always yearned and prayed for a wife who would complement me and support the purpose God has given me. I have found my helper, and I love her. From our nights spent watching K-dramas to adventures like zip-lining through a forest, I want to experience life with her and all she brings to the rest of my life.