Darian and I met at Kids Foot Locker in Towson Town Center. He was my newest manager and we were both scheduled to work that day. I contemplated calling out, but ultimately decided to go. When I arrived to the stock room, he greeted me by asking, "Are you a minor?" Shocked and a little offended, I replied, "No. Are you?" He nervously tried to explain that he had worked with several minors in his few days working at the new store. I brushed it off and went out to the sales floor to get my shift started. When he came back out, there was a moment of awkward silence. I could tell he was nervous to say the wrong thing, so I started asking him general questions and to both of our surprise, we had a lot in common. We both have amazing parents and were born from beautiful and intelligent women. I am the oldest child of Stepfanie Pugh born on November 1, 1997 and Keisha Williams gave birth to her oldest, Darian, on November 7, 1997. We were both one week over due and weighed about 7 pounds each. Both of our fathers are identical twins. Also, we were both raised by strict but awesome and outstanding men. We were quickly mesmerized and focused more on each other than the customers. We talked for hours and my five hour shift seemed to have flown by. When it was time for me to leave, he told me that he didn't want me to leave. I was having such a good time with him that I didn't want to leave either. I knew that I was supposed to be helping my mother set up for her jewelry party, so I called her and asked if I could stay for another hour. She told me that it was fine, and Darian and I immediately resumed our conversation. When the hour was up, I was hesitant to leave but I was even more hesitant to ask him for his number. I was very nervous and tried talking myself out of it, but I worked up the courage to say, "Make sure you get my number off of the board before you leave." He gladly agreed and walked me outside. A couple of hours later he texted me and the rest is history.

Samone and I had spoke on numerous occasions about our future together. I knew I was madly in love with her the moment I played ”Love of my Life” by Bryan McKnight and she sung along. I always figured that there was something different about her, and there definitely was. She was everything that I’ve needed and more. Motivating, beautiful, intelligent, and intuitive. She pushed me to be better, so it was a no brainer that this was the lady I had to marry. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would’ve had the guts nor the courage to want to commit my life to anyone at this age. But with Samone, she makes it so easy. We connected in so many ways that most of the time, I thought we were twins. So when I finally did work up the courage, I just needed to present the ring to her at the right time. My intial thought was to propose at her graduation party in December, but I wasn’t too sure. I had already purchased the ring and had it for three months, I was just itching to give it to her. The month had just struck July and I was talking to mommy (Mrs. Stepfanie), about proposing. She put a bright idea in my head of the right time I could do it. So we worked up the plan to bring the entire family to her job; we figured Mone would love for everyone in her immediate family to see the proposal. So I had mommy call all of the family to come down to the job. It was a bright and sunny fourth of July, and we called her down from her shift. Upon her arrival she didn’t really pay me any mind, but I wasn’t mad because hey a brother was extremely nervous. So I pulled her over near the pond, recited my speech, got on one knee and asked her to marry me.