It all started on May 22, 2022. He was home, scrolling through Facebook. I was at my aunt’s house, minding my business. That’s when I got a message from a guy in a black hoodie and Yankees hat. Curious (and after a quick scroll through his photos), I decided to open the message. It was simple: “Hey, how are you?” He complimented my dark skin, and we quickly fell into a conversation—sharing stories, laughing, and getting to know one another through Facebook messages that went on all night. Before he went to bed, he asked for my number. The next morning, even while I was at work teaching preschool, I was hooked. We moved our convo to WhatsApp and sent each other voice notes—hearing each other’s voices for the first time. Everything felt so easy, so natural. We were both surprised by how quickly we clicked and agreed early on that we wanted to build a friendship first. Later that same day, even though I insisted my hair was “crazy,” we hopped on FaceTime. When the call connected, we both smiled. There was something real between us. From that day on, we talked every single day—texts, calls, FaceTimes—you name it. By June 20, 2022, he finally asked me on a date. I wasn’t about to hop in a car with someone on the first date so we agreed to meet in the city. We were both wandering around trying to find each other when he finally spotted me in front of a Starbucks. His first words? “Wow. You’re even more beautiful in person.” He immediately took my hands, and we just started walking—destination unknown, but the vibe was there. We ended up at TGI Fridays (salmon lovers, unite!), where we ate, laughed, and fought through the first-date jitters. It felt like we’d known each other for years. After dinner, hand in hand, we walked to the High Line, where we talked for hours. My leg was resting on his, and it felt so natural. On the walk there, he told me about a homeless woman he had stopped to help earlier. I smiled politely but didn’t know whether to believe him. Then, as we were headed to our final stop of the night—Frames Bowling—we ran into that same woman. She looked at me and said, “Don’t hurt this man. He’s a good one.” That moment stuck with both of us. At Frames, we made a little bet: whoever lost had to visit the other person’s borough. I lost (yes, I admit it), but he still came to see me first. That next date turned into a whole weekend. We cooked together, laughed until we couldn’t breathe, and even went to online church together. That weekend was a turning point. We knew we had something different. On August 22, 2022, we made it official. We became best friends who happened to be in love. Since then, we’ve celebrated birthdays and holidays, met each other’s families, and continued to grow together through every season life brought us. By December 2023, he told me his plans for our future: marriage. And by July 2024, he looked me in the eyes and told me exactly what he wanted—that by July 2025, I’d be his wife. And now, here we are. Preparing to say “I do” to our forever. What started with a simple “hey” on Facebook became the greatest love story we’ve ever known—ours.