Rob was in Atlanta for the National Black MSM Leadership Summit, and Brandon was finishing up cosmetology school at Aveda Institute. They met on a dating app, and it was "something" at first sight! (Maybe it was the Marine Corps veteran thing.) They agreed to keep in touch, but neither was sure it would happen because... well... Atlanta be like that!

Rob flew to Birmingham to participate in the annual Saving Ourselves Symposium, and Brandon drove from Atlanta to follow up on that initial meeting. The first "actual" date was Brandon driving Rob around his hometown and the two going on a trail hike, followed by a meetup with Brandon's little brother, Isiah, for an afternoon at Central Alabama Pride.

Atlanta was technically neutral ground, and Rob had visited Brandon's hometown. So, it was time for Brandon to visit Rob's hometown. He made his first trip to California to spend the weekend before Rob's birthday. The second official date was indoor skydiving! (Neither had done it before.) That was followed by Fridays at the Oakland Museum of California where they ate from the food trucks at Off the Grid and wondered at the variety of "stuffed" wildlife in the museum's California Gallery.

In the weeks after Brandon's visit to Oakland, they talked more seriously about their shared future. They began to make long-term plans. They settled on tattoo designs. Brandon updated his Facebook relationship status to "Engaged," and Rob updated his to "In A Relationship." (The shade!) Rob had a couple of meetings in New York, so Brandon flew up from Atlanta for the weekend. The third official date was: The Lion King on Broadway (Thursday); engagement tattoos at Black Ink Harlem and dinner at Red Rooster Cafe (Friday) after which Rob updated his Facebook relationship status to "Engaged;" and a walk through Central Park and a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Saturday).

After discussing the possibility of up to two years in a long distance relationship between California and Georgia, Brandon decided that he was ready to leave Atlanta. He had completed school earlier in the year and was only there to test for his Georgia Cosmetology license (which he did after the move).

Rob attended the 1st and 2nd Annual LGBT Arts and Culture Music Festivals in Puerto Rico in 2016 and 2017, and had a blast both years. He did not attend in 2018 (opting for that trip to Birmingham, Alabama, to see Brandon instead). In 2019, Rob and Brandon attended the 4th Annual LGBT Music Fest in Cancun together, with an eye on what a wedding at the annual White Party might look like. By the end of the trip, it was settled: Destination wedding surrounded and affirmed by well-tanned members of our community. See you in Cancun!

In early 2021, the newlyweds plan to relocate to Los Angeles for a couple of years so that Brandon can continue his career in Beauty and Rob can complete his undergraduate degree at USC. (If it's not LA, maybe DC or Atlanta... or overseas! They're keeping their options open.) They've settled on adopting a cute German Pointer as their first child. Brandon wants a girl, and Rob wants a boy, so the human children will come in two or three more years, after the couple decides where to purchase their first home.