We're getting married!

I remember my first time meeting Brandi (Bran) in 2009. We were cast in a stage play called "Still Here - Left behind in the ghetto" (before y'all start clownin', it debuted at the Palace Theater). Our story wasn't a "Love at first sight" story.. Brandi was headed to the University of Cincinnati for school and I was moving heavy with Slingshot doing music at that time. After the play, we really didn't have much contact (besides random text) for years. Fast Forward 3-4 yrs, Bran was back in Columbus & we started hanging out. I started to notice that I was feeling her but, it wasn't until Valentine's Day that I stepped up to the free throw line to shoot my shot. But before I get to "the shot". Leading up to that point, I used to talk to the homies (Yav, Trev & Max) about Bran and how I should tell her about my feelings. They had no answers for me. Until one day, we had a talk & I was specifically measuring every female up to Bran. At that point I knew I had feelings, I just needed a plan. It was Valentine's Day & I was in my apartment by myself, trying to think of creative ideas to pursue her. Listen to this cornball attempt I thought was genius at the time smh.... So, there wasn't a warm up "WYD" "Hey big head" text. I dove in head first. I had just randomly seen the throwback "Tootsie Roll" commercial. The one with the kids riding on a Train & everything they see/pass becomes a Tootsie Roll - singing "whatever it is I think I see, becomes a Tootsie roll to me". I had the brilliant idea to send her a pic/meme of a puppy, flowers, lollipops, & something else (can't remember) with her face photoshopped on all of them. Reading "whatever it is I think I see, turns into B.Dodley to me" & I sent it. *Insert slow motion free throw shot. Her response was not ideal but she entertained it, so I knew I was good! *insert crowd going wild after the make!

Bran & her family goes to Chicago every year to visit her Meemaw & Pawpaw. This year, I played it as if I couldn’t make it due to work. So the day before Bran returned from Chicago, her dad and I made the trip up there. I had Mrs. China (the perfect wing-woman) assist on throwing the perfect oop. Mr Dodley & I set up shop (the ring, flowers, music etc) at Kenosha Beach. Bran was brought to the beach without suspecting a thing. As Bran (Mrs China & Kennedy) was walking the beach, I was across the beach waiting. The closer she got, you could see her piecing everything together. Without que, a random beach buddy (I had just met) smoothly started playing Ed Sheehan's song "Perfect". So I'm standing on a beautiful beach, perfect weather, not a cloud in sight, music setting the mood, with the waves as my motivation. I couldn't screw this up right? Wrong! I kept telling myself "stay cool" but......I froze :( ! As it's now GO TIME, we're standing hand in hand. The beach crowd is growing anxious... and my mind goes blank. I start to panic and stumble over my words as I looked Bran in her eyes. My proposal was far from smooth, but it was perfect, as it was from the heart. No one else in the world would've understood but my soon-to-be Bride. She said, "YES!" & the whole Beach cheered. I was the happiest dude ever!