His name is Tomi, and we’ve known each other since we were 11 years old. I transferred to his school in JSS2 and — of course 😌 — I became top of my class. That’s when this Uncle started noticing me. According to him, he couldn’t believe I showed up, swept all the prizes, and took first place in every subject… while he didn’t even have class notes 😅. As the bookworm I was, I stayed focused on my studies and my future. But I did notice this boy always staring at me — like he wanted to fight me! I honestly thought he didn’t like me. Turns out, it was a crush. Our very first conversation happened when I needed someone to draw sea creatures for a Fine Art project. Someone mentioned he could draw, so I asked him for help. That little moment — simple as it was — was the spark, at least according to him. By SS1, we were good friends. But in SS2, he moved away and left the country. Before leaving, he wrote me a dramatic four-page love letter declaring his feelings. Unfortunately, my mum found the letter, and that was the end of that. Let’s just say I started avoiding him like he was trouble! Years passed. In 2009, we reconnected on Facebook and picked up like no time had passed. Things between us had their ups and downs, but our friendship stayed strong. We never lost touch — birthdays, New Year calls, long catch-ups (we once talked for 11 hours straight — yes, seriously!). Fast forward to 2023, and God began to rewrite our story in the most beautiful way. We reconnected romantically, but I was cautious. You know men — they know exactly what to say. And me? I was immune to all the sweet talk, doing “hard girl” up and down. But in January 2024, something shifted. The way this man had pursued me — steady, genuine, intentional — melted my heart. I realised I was in love with him and wanted to spend the rest of my life by his side. After much prayer, fasting and healing, things finally clicked into place for us when I visted in August. It felt safe. Joyful. Like coming home. We’ve been inseparable ever since. And then, in January 2025 — in New York — he got down on one knee and proposed. And now… we’re getting married 💍❤️

For me, our story began in BMHS back in JSS2. Ope was the brilliant new girl in Class B who aced everything and topped the class. And me? I was the boy in Class A, crushing on her from a distance. My not-so-subtle “visits” to friends in her class to sneak a look didn’t help — apparently, she thought I was glaring at her, not crushing on her. One day she needed help with a Fine Art project, and a friend mentioned I could draw. She asked, I agreed, and that little collaboration — the easy conversation, the natural way we clicked — lit a spark. Curiosity became a full-on crush. In SS1, fate stepped in and we landed not only in the same class but at the same two-seater desk. That’s where our friendship took off. During prep, we’d meet under the stairs and talk about everything — movies, books, random jokes. She was the one person who found my humor genuinely funny, and I was completely gone. Everyone knew I liked her… except her. She was focused on her books. In SS2, I had to leave the school. It hurt to leave my friends, but especially her. Before I left, I wrote a heartfelt love letter and sent it through my sister, who still attended the school. I never got a reply. Years later, I learned her mum had found it — not the best-timed romantic gesture. We drifted. A couple of years later, I moved to the U.S., started a Facebook group for our BMHS set, and that’s how we found each other again. We chatted on and off, got close, and one day she showed me a letter she’d written to express her feelings. Reading it — seeing she’d felt the same way — made me ridiculously happy. For a while, we were thick as thieves, talking for hours. But life happened, and we slowly went different directions. Still, we stayed connected on birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s… she always held a piece of my heart. Fast forward to December 2022. I reacted to her Instagram story with a fire emoji — simple, unserious — and somehow, that sparked a reconnection. In early 2023, during a time when I was praying and fasting for a life partner, we had a marathon call — five hours and fifty minutes. It was different this time: open, vulnerable, honest. When we hung up, I sat there asking God, “Is she the one?” The old flames that felt like embers suddenly roared back. I kept praying, and the message I felt from God was clear: go for it. So I did. I told her I wanted to visit her in the UK — not just to catch up, but to date her with real intention. She was surprised, but she agreed. I booked my trip for May, close to her birthday. Those seven days felt like seven perfect dates. On day one, walking through a beautiful park, she asked about my intentions. I told her plainly: I want to date you with the intention of marriage. She didn’t rush. She prayed. We talked. We took our time. Then came May 18. Thousands of feet in the air, in a hot air balloon, she said “yes” — not to marriage yet, but to dating me. I was over the moon. Long distance isn’t easy. We had real challenges — valleys that stretched us and moments that required healing and patience. But God met us there. He taught us how to communicate, forgive, and choose each other even when it was hard. In August, she visited the U.S., and just like my trip to the UK, every day together deepened what we had. Somewhere in that season I caught myself whispering, “I’m going to marry you.” By late 2024, it was clear to both of us: this was it. We were aligned. We were ready. In January, in New York City, I asked her to marry me — and she said yes again, this time to forever. When I look back, our story feels like a series of doors quietly opening. A seating chart. An art project. A Facebook group. A fire emoji. A five-hour-fifty-minute call. A balloon ride. None of it forced; all of it guided. From stairwell laughs to long-distance prayers, from a lost letter to a New York proposal — God wrote this with us.