One Sunday after church, while planning a game night, a friend asked if I’d be interested in meeting her beautiful friend. Curious, we checked out Sarah's Instagram page, and I thought, Wow, she’s really, really beautiful. The night of the game night almost didn’t happen—at least for Sarah. We started two hours late (as expected), and she nearly decided not to come. But thanks to my friend’s persistence and a little extra convincing from her sister (shoutout to you, Hannah!), she finally made it. From the moment we met, I knew she was different. I could already picture a future with her. We exchanged numbers, and without wasting any time, we planned our first date for the very next day. Of course, I had to do some Instagram research to figure out what she liked, and that led us to a Thai restaurant. Over dinner, we had deep, meaningful conversations, and I knew without a doubt, she was my always and forever. From that very first meeting to every moment since, Sarah has been nothing short of amazing. She's loving, caring, and the most thoughtful person I know. She brings so much joy, warmth, and peace into my life; every day with her feels like a blessing. Meeting her was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I can’t wait to spend forever by her side.

My friend had recently started attending a new church and invited me to a game night with some of her new friends. She also mentioned there was a guy she wanted me to meet and even sent me his Instagram profile. I agreed to go for a little while, but I had wash day plans—and if you know, you know. Natural hair folks understand the time commitment! Now, keep in mind—the event was scheduled for 5:00 PM. As I was getting ready, my friend texted me, "You don't have to get there at 5! Probably around 5:30." Okay, valid. I’ll be fashionably late. Then, around 6:00 PM, she told me to wait even longer because people were still trickling in. At this point, I started questioning my commitment to this party. By 7:00 PM, she finally texted, "Okay, you can come now!" TWO HOURS after the official start time! Y’all, I had planned to leave by 8:00 PM! If you haven’t guessed by now, this was a Nigerian gathering, and this was my first real introduction to what’s known as “Nigerian time”—which makes CP time folks look reallyyyyy early. At this point, I was ready to call it a night and stick to my original plan. But then my friend hit me with, "Your suitor has been looking forward to you coming." And suddenly, I felt bad—because I didn’t realize he was actually expecting me. Of course, I was on the phone with my sister, debating whether this was even worth it. Could anything really come out of meeting this guy? After much deliberation, she convinced me to just go for a bit. So, over 2.5 hours late, I finally showed up. And let me tell you—Chuks wasted no time. I was trying to play it cool, meet people, blend in, & make sure it didn't look like I only went for this one guy—but the moment I walked in, he came right up to me. From then on, he stuck by my side the entire night—teaching me the Nigerian games and references, making sure I tried the food, and making me feel comfortable. Before the night ended, he had secured both my number and Instagram. Efficient. And get this—I ended up staying for the whole event! No hair wash happened that night. When he walked me to my car, he asked me on a date. I said yes…but for eight days later. Somehow, he got me to agree to a date the very next day instead. And honestly? We’ve been together ever since. His intentionality in pursuing me was undeniable, and it’s been a beautiful journey growing together. Moral of the story? You can sometimes skip your wash day. Don't know when you may meet your future spouse!