Like many great love stories… ours began in a parking lot. In March 2020, at the height of COVID-19, Brandon was organizing donations from Chinese associations to support doctors on the front lines. Before agreeing to meet him, Mindi did what any reasonable person would do—she had him vetted by her friend Britty to confirm he was not a serial killer. Once he passed inspection, she agreed to meet him in a plaza parking lot to discuss supplies needed at UHWI. Brandon arrived prepared… but not just with information. He showed up with not one, but two meals—one for Mindi and one for her co-resident on call. Points were definitely earned that day. Now, we’d love to say Mindi immediately fell head over heels—but that would be too easy. She made Brandon work for it. What followed instead was the start of a very close friendship filled with four-hour phone calls, frequent food exchanges, and a growing realization that Brandon was… kind of hard to ignore. He didn’t just show up for Mindi—he showed up for her whole world. Soon enough, he was “Uncle Brandon,” visiting to play with her niece and nephews, usually arriving with mangoes like some sort of tropical superhero. As time went on, Mindi noticed something important: Brandon wasn’t just kind—he was deeply family-oriented, just like her. That may or may not have been when she started thinking, hmm… maybe I should keep this one. She eventually invited him to a black-tie gala under the very convincing reasoning of “we can dress up and eat good food.” (A foolproof plan.) Brandon, of course, said yes. They had an amazing time—and finally, sparks flew. A few months later, Mindi made the first official move and asked Brandon out on their first date. Yes, she asked him. And the rest is history. Because they spent two full years as friends first, their relationship is built on a solid foundation of love, respect, and the slightly scary ability to read each other’s minds. Mindi often says Brandon calls right when she’s about to call him and that she already knows exactly what he’s going to say. Brandon just laughs… because she’s usually right. They’ve blended into each other’s families so seamlessly that it feels like it was always meant to be. And if there was ever any doubt, Hurricane Melissa made things clear—they were side by side gathering supplies, helping others, and making early morning trips together like a true team. Through everything, especially during Mindi’s health challenges, Brandon has been her constant—supportive, selfless, and never once making her feel anything less than amazing. It’s just one of the many reasons she fell in love with him. Now, while they agree on most things in life… there is one ongoing debate: music. Brandon, also known as “Soca Chiney,” believes soca is the answer to everything. Mindi… strongly disagrees. We’ll let you see how that plays out on the dance floor. 🎶