The first time I met Brandie was at a New Year’s party at the Graham house, where I was living at the time. The extent of our interaction that night was me taking some photos of her and her friends on her phone. I also took some selfies with my friends too. I remember her catching my eye but she left before I could muster the courage to speak to her. One night, four months later, I was out with some friends when they got invited to another get together to continue the festivities. I was in the car when they decided to go, and I was happy to tag along. When we arrived I found the first open seat on a couch and plopped down next to someone who was asleep, resting her head on the arm of the couch. I must’ve awoken her when I sat because she looked at me, introduced herself, and proceeded to fall back asleep. However she decided my shoulder looked more comfortable than the arm of the couch because that’s where she laid her head. I was happy to oblige; who am I to tell a pretty girl she can’t use my shoulder as a pillow. Soon after, our friend group began going out more regularly, and each week we would talk and get to know each other more. Eventually we began talking and we made plans for a date: a Memphis Grizzlies playoff game. But this game was 10 days away and we both wanted to go out sooner than that. So we agreed to meet at Graham and go to Las Delicias down the street for dinner. As I would come to find out is normal for Brandie, she was a little later than our agreed upon time. I could tell she was just as nervous as I was because she told me she had had a few more drinks than she had planned when she was out with coworkers that day. But we made it through the dinner, being our awkward selves, which was especially exhibited by my poor attempt during our first kiss (I knew she liked me when she didn’t cancel our date to the basketball game in spite of the kiss). As we spent more and more time together I began to realize that I was being myself around her and it wasn’t scaring her away. I could talk to her about anything and everything. I had found a best friend that I didn’t even know I was looking for. The road to today was definitely not smooth (think Memphis roads after an ice storm). The biggest pothole was when she told me she was not looking for a relationship. I felt defeated because I knew I wanted to be with her forever. We were obviously still good friends and I continued to text her every morning to remind her that I was there for her when she needed me. We continued to see each other when our group would go out and we talked about life as friends do. Eventually my persistence paid off and one year after the very first time I met Brandie, we began dating. Every day I am overjoyed to have such a kind, smart, and loving woman in my life, and am so lucky to be marrying my best friend.

It all began on New Year's Eve 2021 when I decided to join my friend Lewis and his roommates for a party. While I don't remember meeting Trey that night, he took a selfie on my phone after I asked him to take pictures of me and my friends. A few months later, I met Trey officially. He arrived with a group of friends to crash our girls' night, and by the time they arrived, I was fast asleep on the couch. When I woke up, I found myself leaning on a stranger's shoulder. I asked him who he was, and he introduced himself as Trey. I went back to sleep, and he let me rest comfortably. I was mortified when I realized what I had done, but I was relieved to see him again the next day when we were invited to swim at a friend's aunt's house. From then on, I started hanging out frequently with Trey and our mutual friends. One Wednesday at Trivia, the group made plans to go to Grind City on a Friday after work. Hailey, one of our friends, said she would be out of town, so I was hesitant to commit. Trey saw this as an opportunity to ask for my number, so he could inform me of the plans. I didn't hear from him until Friday after work, but we went to Grind City as planned. Afterward, we continued the party at the Graham house. Most of the party went outside to pray, but Trey wanted to watch TV. I stayed behind to keep him company, and before I knew it, I fell asleep on his shoulder AGAIN. This became a regular occurrence each time we hung out, and we would end the night by watching a Marvel movie together on the couch and I would fall asleep on his shoulder. We continued to hang out regularly, but I was not sure where our relationship was heading. A month had passed before Trey asked me on a date to the Grizzlies playoff game; it was supposed to be a low-pressure first date. However, Trey did not want to wait too long and invited me to dinner instead. I was nervous about it because dining first dates tend to be awkward, but I accepted his offer to go to Las D on a Thursday after work. Unfortunately, I arrived late and a little tipsy. Trey was not pleased, but he took me to dinner anyway. Despite the awkwardness, we went back to his house, where we had our first kiss – an unimpressive one. Our next outing was a Grizzlies game, which morphed into a double date with his friend Connor. The group setting took the pressure off, and we continued hanging out after that. Trey was different from any other guy I had met. He was polite, a great communicator, and made me a priority in his life. I was not used to this level of attention and found myself pushing him away. Despite my reluctance, we continued to hang out in a group setting and texted regularly. As the holidays approached, I planned to take a solo trip to Disney, and Trey hinted that he wanted to join me. I wasn't sure how I felt about traveling with him, but I knew it would be the deciding factor in whether we would get out of the friend zone. We booked the trip and had an amazing time together. We got to know each other on a different level and enjoyed each other's company. After Disney, we met up with Hailey and Zane to spend New Year's Eve with Zane's family in Daytona. I was anxious about the countdown because I wasn't certain if Trey would kiss me at midnight. It would have been the first time we showed any PDA in front of our friends. Spoiler: He kissed me and we officially started dating. Since meeting Trey, we have experienced so much together. We have traveled to exciting destinations such as Hawaii, Dallas, NOLA, Utah, among many others. Our time together is always the highlight of my day and being around him allows me to be my true self, with no inhibitions. Trey is more than just my best friend – he is the person I never knew I needed in my life. Although it took me quite some time to realize how much he meant to me, I am glad that Trey never gave up on me. I am excited for the future, and I look forward to falling asleep on his shoulder forever.