It all began long before they even knew it. Desireé and Marlon were both born in Brooklyn, New York and born in the same hospital at Downstate. They grew up just a couple of neighborhoods apart; Canarsie and East Flatbush and never ran into each other. Life eventually took them both to Florida, at different times and in different ways. While their lives were running parallel, their lines would soon bend and eventually cross. Desireé went on to become a Gator at the University of Florida, and Marlon went on to become a Hurricane at the University of Miami. They were college rivals before they were soulmates. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Right before fate would bring them together, finding love was definitely not on the to-do list. Marlon was just busy working in Miami. As for Desireé, she was also busy working and became a dog mom. You can’t tell her nothing about her Teddy. Don’t even try it. In 2023 Desireé worked at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach with Bianca (Marlon’s twin brother’s girlfriend at the time, now his wife). They were working a good night shift and reflecting on their past toxic relationships. During one of their many “where are all the good men at?” chats, Marlon’s name came up but unfortunately, he was in a relationship. Fast forward a couple of months later, at Bianca’s last day at work, she had a divine moment of memory: “Hey… Marlon’s single now!” Marlon was minding his business when he got a message from Bianca asking for his best photos. Not one, Not two, A whole portfolio was requested. Bianca asked Marlon to trust her on this. Meanwhile, he couldn’t get a single photo of Desireé. Before Desireé and Marlon even spoke, Marlon’s twin brother Jevon took it upon himself to “vet” Desireé to make sure she was the real deal. With Jevon giving the final ok, Marlon finally received a photo of Desireé and all he could say was “Look at God!” Marlon got Desireé’s number right after that and they texted for hours into the next morning. The first date was set for 3:30pm and Marlon got there on time but Desireé was late by 4 minutes; a detail he’ll never let her forget. But all was forgiven quickly once she walked in. Again, Marlon said to himself “Look at God!" What was supposed to be a casual meetup turned into a 6–7 hour date, full of laughter, watching college football and great conversations. The vibes were so good, Desireé did the unexpected. She decided then and there to call off from work to continue the date. Towards the end of the date, they even held hands walking back to their cars and Marlon was fully expecting to kiss Desireé on the cheek. NOPE! Desireé hit Marlon with the quickest church side hug, said “bye” and quickly got into her car like she was late for work. Marlon thought he got sent to the friendzone. Afterwards, Marlon texted to make sure Desireé got home safely. She said she did and wished him a good night along with a smiley face emoji. Marlon sat there like, “Damn… I’m really in the friendzone” Luckily, the next day they spoke again and again, and went on more dates. Then Marlon eventually asked Desireé to be his girlfriend and she said yes. And they have been inseparable ever since. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From a shared birthplace to opposite universities, from late arrivals to long conversations, and from photo requests to forever; Desireé and Marlon found love when they weren’t even looking. And somehow, they ended up right where they were always meant to be. Love has a way of coming full circle. They just had to trust the timing of their lives and God’s timing.