Butler and I met back in the 90’s in Harlem on a beautiful summer night on 116 th and Lenox Ave. He was with a group of his friends and I was with a friend of mine. We exchanged numbers and from that day forward every chance I got I was on 111th Street to see him. Butler always had a quiet, serious nature about him but he was always very sweet and respectful to me. He would walk me home (I was the quiet shy girl ) and always made sure I was safe. We would laugh and joke around with his friends and mine. He was my first love. But as young love usually does over time our relationship faded out. There was no real reason, no dramatic breakup, life just took us in opposite directions. Butler went on to live his life and I went on to live mine. Fast forward to June 2023 while driving home with a friend. Who walks past the car? I said, “Wow look at Butler!” It had been well over 20 years since I’d seen him and he still was fine as ever. I explained to my friend he was my first love and she tried to convince me to call his name. My pride was like girl nope! She rolled down the window and called him. He responded “Hi!” Knowing how blind he always was and with a little distance now between us. I said “You don’t even know who you’re speaking to” He gave a little cocky response, “Well you called my name so you must know me”, I smiled (that’s that Harlem Shit) and got out of the car. The look of shock and surprise on his face is unforgettable. He smiled big and embraced me tightly. Asking how I’d been and I asked him the same. Sidebar: this is transpiring while my friend and I are waiting at a traffic light. The cars began to honk. “Good to see you!” I said as I hurried back into the car and we drove off. I won’t lie, I glanced in the side mirror and noticed Butler was still standing there watching us drive away, stuck! What happened next was so unexpected, so magical, so unreal, and it changed the course of both our lives. As my friend and I continued our drive to my house. We’re now SEVERAL blocks away from where we left MR Butler standing. WTF!! My startled friend shouts as we wait at the light once again. I look to my right and surprisingly there is Butler and his coworker in a NYCHA Buggy that he hijacked from work and chased me down. BAAABBBYYYY! We exchanged numbers this time. We talked and texted every day and night, he expressed how I was the only woman he’d ever loved and how he had searched for me over the years. We became inseparable. On January 22, 2024, he proposed to me. It was not theatrical (Thank God!) but very special and meaningful to us and brought our love story full circle.