Here come the Hardimons

It was April 6th, 2019, in Winston-Salem, NC—a day I’ll never forget. Devan was on her official visit, and it was just before the team’s annual spring game party. I remember the exact moment she walked into Essang’s pregame with Kenzie. The whole room seemed to freeze, and every guy’s attention shifted to her. But for me, it was more than her beauty. Something inside me just knew she was special—like, forever kind of special. I wasn’t sure how or when, but I knew she was going to be a part of my life in a way that no one else could be. Determined to make an impression, I went up to Kenzie and said something totally outrageous (trust me, I’m a man of my word!). That little stunt got me banned from talking to Devan for the rest of the night. So, I just admired her from afar, quietly plotting how I was going to win her over. A few months later, fate stepped in. I randomly ran into her in Atlanta and, without hesitation, took a video of us together and sent it to Kenzie with the caption: “It’s fate.” And it truly was. Over six years, we’ve grown together through all of life’s ups and downs. Now, here we are raising our amazing son, Stone, and building our life together. I’m marrying the woman of my dreams, the one I knew was mine from the very start.

It all started with a college party. Not just any college party, mind you, but *the* college party, the one that marked my very first night at Wake Forest and the night I made the cheer team. Little did I know, the real victory wasn’t just securing a spot on the team—it was meeting Tyriq. I didn’t know it then, but he’d end up being my ride to every college party after that. Literally. He was always there, the guy with the car and the best jokes, ready to whisk me away to whatever adventure the night had in store. When I finally got to campus for my first semester, it didn’t take long for me to realize something: Ty was the love of my life. Like, *for real*. It hit me after just one lunch in the pit (the famous Wake Forest cafeteria), where he was sitting a few seats away, casually making me giggle so hard I thought I might choke on my pizza. As we walked out, I turned to Kenzie, who had witnessed my giddy, almost embarrassing display of laughter, and said, “I think he’s really cute... is there anything wrong with him?” She probably rolled her eyes, because, like, we were in college, not middle school, but that’s when I knew. And just like that, we were inseparable. I’m talking *every single day*. If I wasn’t at cheer practice, I was with Ty—he was my person. And if you’ve ever heard my laugh, you know it’s loud enough to be heard from miles away. Well, when I met Ty it was more likely heard from space. One of my favorite memories is the view from my freshman dorm: I’d look out the window, and there it was—Ty’s white Nissan Maxima, parked outside, waiting for me. It was our thing. I knew that no matter what was going on, we were about to spend hours in his car, stuffing our faces with cheeseburgers from Cookout, laughing about anything and everything. I’m not sure what was funnier: the ridiculous things we’d joke about or the fact that we could never get through a single sentence without cracking up. Now, six years later, I still get to enjoy those giggly nights, but with a new addition: a cute little third laugh joining in. It’s Ty’s and my world, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. I guess you could say the rest was history... but I like to think we’re still making it, one laugh and cheeseburger at a time.