I was working a late night shift and I received a friend request from someone I had zero mutual friends with and we lived about 45 minutes from one another. He was cute so I accepted with a following message that said “Hey”. After that we would talk and FaceTime everyday for about a month. DeVante’s 19th birthday was just around the corner and we still hadn’t met in person. He invited me over to his house for the weekend for his birthday and I swear my heart literally dropped to the floor. I made the 45 minute drive (little did I find out a year later DeVante tested me to see if I would really make the drive for his birthday). We finally met in person the day of his birthday and our connection in person blew the connection we had over the phone out of the water. Another month later he asked me to be his girlfriend in the Chubby’s parking lot while we eat our now favorite late night meal because the wait at another restaurant was too long. From that day forward we both knew that we can be our true selfs with one another without any elaborate expectations than to just love and be loved in return.

At this point we have settled into our first apartment together for about four months after working and saving a lot. We get home and I was in the middle of paying a parking ticket I got in the mail after being parked in an area for only ten minutes. I was so irritated and tired after a long week of work. DeVante was in our bedroom messing with something in the closet. He asked me to help with something and I refused as I was frustrated over my parking ticket. After he asked me to help him with something for the third time I walked into our room with frustration. With all that built up emotion a new one, a better one took over me. DeVante was on one knee and asked me to marry him. While we were both ugly crying I said “YES”. We were finally on our own, in our own home and it was just us two in the comfort of our safe place. Needless to say I was more than accepting of paying the parking ticket that night.