Eaton Love

Pono 2B. If you know, you know. 2012 was a year of new beginnings as these two entered college at Christopher Newport University. Tyrell and La'Shay were recruited to play sports at CNU, and God saw fit to land them in the same dorm, on the same hall. Welcome week festivities led to them meeting and instantly becoming the best of friends. Inseparable, some would say. This became more apparent as they both selected Communication Studies as their major, and each semester, Tyrell would ask, "What classes you taking so I can pick them too?" Each class, each essay, each midterm, and final bound them closer together. Late nights working in the library or at La'Shay's apartment freestyling to instrumentals, these two always knew their bond was something special. However, anytime anyone asked why they never dated, La'Shay would say, "He's not mature enough for me yet". In reality, they both had some growing to do, and they understood that their friendship was far more important than anything else.

After college, they went their separate ways. Tyrell, back to Richmond, Virginia, and La'Shay, back to Norfolk, Virginia. But whenever one needed the other, the mere 100 miles between them was no obstacle. Tyrell would travel each weekend to Norfolk to keep Sharon while La'Shay and her mother would work. As they grew and experienced life, each was present at the other's major events. No matter how long they went without speaking or seeing one another, when one needed the other, they were there. When the time came for each of them to begin new phases in their lives, something clicked. A faint memory of something La'Shay would often say in jest back at CNU. "If we aren't in healthy relationships, by the time we are 30, we'll just get married." Ironically enough, they never realized the gravity of that statement. It started with an innocent hug. A moment where for the first time, they both felt their stress fall away. In that moment, they knew.