As for our house......It's God, Family, Community!

Steven and Shaunda met in 2016, not in a whirlwind of romance, but in the quiet, steady world of a new job. Shaunda had just joined the agency—bright, driven, and focused. Steven was already there, a calming presence with a quiet wit and a heart that paid attention even when he didn’t say much. Over seven years, they grew into trusted colleagues and respectful friends. There was always a warmth between them, but life had them on different paths, and so their bond never stretched beyond the boundaries of the workplace. Eventually, Shaunda moved on to another opportunity, and the years rolled by. Still, some connections never quite fade. Almost three years later, fate nudged them back together when Shaunda needed a form from her old job. On a whim, she wondered if Steven still worked there. To her surprise—and, truthfully, a little delight—he did. In true Steven fashion, he handled it immediately. But that brief errand turned into something more. Steven reached out, not just with an update on the form, but with a warmth in his message that lingered. Their conversation bloomed unexpectedly—easy, honest, and deeper than anything they'd shared before. Shaunda mentioned she was heading to Greece soon, and Steven wished her a safe journey. To Shaunda’s surprise, he checked in during her trip just to make sure she arrived safely. That simple act of kindness brought a genuine smile to her face—one she couldn’t quite explain. When she returned home, life had one more twist: she came down with the flu. Feeling miserable and worn down, she didn’t even have to ask for help. Steven showed up—not with grand gestures or fanfare, but with medicine, soup, ginger ale, and kindness. He played Uber, nurse, and quiet comforter, making sure she had everything she needed to get through it. It was then that everything shifted. In that quiet act of care, something unspoken between them became clear. The years of friendship, the shared laughter in office hallways, the reconnected conversations—all of it had been leading here. What started as a friendship built on respect and trust blossomed into something neither of them had planned—but both of them instantly recognized. And the rest? The rest was history. And the beginning of a love story still unfolding.