It almost ended before it began. Marcus and Vanessa met at Metro Life Church, passing by each other in services before eventually seeing each other every day in the offices. While Marcus was intrigued by Vanessa, he was still discerning his feelings when the world was shut down and everyone was forced inside, leaving him without much opportunity to see what could be. But fortunately, Vanessa's curiosity for the familiar faces she would often saw prompted her to reach out to Marcus on Instagram, just to see if he was doing okay. Sensing this might be his one opportunity, he put on all his conversational charm to keep her replying. Small talk turned into daily check ins, then to FaceTimes, long conversations, eventually watching shows & sharing music together. While the world found itself in unprecedented isolation, Marcus & Vane each found a companion.

A well-documented phenomenon, the "The Friend Zone" is a labyrinth with little hope of escape for those who fall victim to it. Things did not look promising for the initial pursuer of this now lifelong relationship. Marcus, emboldened by months of conversations, attempted to take the relationship offline and asked Vane to the famed coffee date. What could go wrong? It's just coffee. Well, what could go wrong did go wrong, as Vane informed Marcus she saw nothing more beyond friendship for them. As a kicker, a quarantine for each of them followed soon after, locking them both in their room for 2 weeks. Marcus returned to his confidants, defeated but still determined and developed a game plan. See, Vane was not the only one who made her intentions clear, as Marcus insisted he would still be around as much as she would allow, and that he still held hope for something between them. He persevered; more conversations, more shows, more music, and a surprise birthday gift of cookies & band merch created his second chance. A movie date, in which Vane found herself looking at Marcus more than the screen. She could deny it no longer; Marcus had escaped the labyrinth and now she saw him from a new perspective. She saw him as he saw her; the one who might be the one.

The year and 10 months that followed were full of love, discovery, and commitment, as they grew individually and together. Marcus & Vane shared in much throughout their time together; completing bachelor degrees, newfound financial freedom, career changes, friends gained & lost, personal growth, spiritual growth, all while navigating a rapidly changing world. They both supported and challenged each other to continue after what God had called them to and learned along the way that God had called them to each other. May 15th, Marcus got down on one knee, Vane said yes, and on November 10th amongst friends and family, a celebration of two lives becoming one will take place, and we'd love for you to be a part of it.