What began as a simple friendship has grown into a love grounded in faith, laughter, and purpose. God has been at the center of every step we’ve taken, guiding, keeping, and blessing our journey. As we celebrate this next chapter surrounded by those we love, we are grateful for the ways He continues to write our story. Our story began seven years ago when our paths crossed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Working together in student affairs, we built a trust-based friendship that evolved into something deeper. Over time, we realized what we had was rare, something rooted in purpose. We promised that no matter what, we would never stop laughing and never stop being friends. That friendship has remained the foundation of our love. We’ve been there for each other as friends and as partners in a committed relationship. In every chapter, we’ve shown up for one another with love, patience, grace, more laughter, and much prayer. In 2020, we moved from North Carolina to Virginia when Ashley accepted a new career opportunity. The move brought us closer to our son and bonus son, Demarcus Jr., and blessed us to be around more family just in time to welcome our youngest blessing, Isaiah Ngozi Demarcus Merritt. In RVA, we built memories, found community, and deepened our purpose through our work, Ashley at the University of Richmond and Demarcus at VCU and later UVA. As our mother and mother-in-love, Donna Owens, always says, “You two are a dynamic duo, a powerhouse.” Through every high and low, we have come to understand that our union is more than an earthly connection. It is divinely appointed. We are each other’s person and each other’s forever plus one. Every triumph, every tear, every “babe, you did it” moment reminds us that what we are building was both assigned and aligned by God. We have learned, unlearned, and relearned together. God has kept us through moves, a pandemic, and seasons of loss. In Richmond, we found spiritual covering at The Life Church RVA under Pastors Ashley and Vernon Gordon. When a new role brought us to Northern Virginia, God had already gone before us again. The Life Church RVA had a sister church, The Life Church DMV, right near our new home. Life has not been perfect, but our love has remained constant. We continue to pour into each other’s purpose, support one another’s dreams, and build a home filled with laughter, faith, and love for our family of four. We love both of our boys, who re-teach us life and gift so many memories each day. Yes, we are parents, professionals, a son, and a daughter. But above all, we promised we would never stop being partners to one another. We vowed never to grow too comfortable to stop learning about each other or discovering new ways to love one another through communicated and observed needs. We believe we are yoked in God’s anointing. Our walk with Him may not be perfect, but our pursuit of His purpose and instruction is never negotiable. God will always remain the main character and the central cord between us. The number seven holds deep biblical significance and represents completion. God is not done with us, but He has already performed a mighty work and fulfilled a promise long before we ever started as friends. This is a new chapter, a continued beginning. We are stepping into a season of bigger and bolder faith, deeper love, and greater favor. We believe that what God is doing in us will not only bless us but overflow into our families, friends, and every space we touch. We truly believe we are about to walk into blessings and favor our Father has stored up just for “such a time as this.” If you are ever around us, you might hear us say “I love you, bae” or “Ngozi.” Ngozi is Igbo for “God’s blessing.” That is what we strive to be, God’s blessing to each other and to those we encounter. As we celebrate this seventh year of our journey, we know this is only a continued beginning, the beginning of our forever. #HappilyMerritt