On Friday, September 13th 2019, Sam and Cierra met on what most consider the unluckiest day of the year. Sam was in Washington D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus Conference and that night there was an after party at a lounge called Ozio. Initially, Sam had plans to go to The Park on 14th, but those plans fell through and he found himself at Ozio. Cierra was running extremely late and just caught up with her friend as she entered the building. They had no idea their lives would collide that very night. Some may say their meeting was a coincidence but they see it as fate. It was on the dance floor that Sam and Cierra shared their first words to one another. If you ask Cierra to recount that night, she'd bring up how Sam is the first person to give her a business card in the club. She'd bring up how impressed she was with his dance skills and how comfortable she felt talking to him about her whole life while the lounge filled with people dancing and carrying on around them. She'd also mention that his Fantasy Football roster didn't look too bad. If you ask Sam to recount that night, he'd mention how at first Cierra didn't want to give him her number but by the end of the night she was feeling ya boy. He'd mention how comfortable he felt talking to her about his own life and aspirations. He'd mention how there was a moment during that night she looked up at him with her big brown eyes and from then he made up in his mind he would call her "Bambi". Six months after that fateful night, their world along with billions of others was turned completely upside down. The pandemic shifted them to remote work but allowed them the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time together. What they both call "The Silver Lining of COVID". Together they protested, they grieved, they celebrated, they laughed, and they cried. During the two years of dating, they continued to explore their individuality while growing together in love. Their love made every season of living quite easier and simpler, it simplified the complexities of life and they soon realized that their meeting was intentional and that God had a plan for them all along. Spring of 2021, Sam started coordinating with their families to pull off a beautiful proposal. On April 29th, Sam flew into D.C. and started putting his proposal into action with the help of family and friends. On April 30th, Sam proposed to Cierra at one of her favorite restaurants in the National Harbor surrounded by their closest family and friends. Since then, Cierra relocated to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and they purchased their first home. In May 2022, their family grew with the addition of their double doodle puppy, Marley. Together, they continue to enjoy the ebbs and flows of life and rise more in love.