"Find a woman who wants nothing and give her everything."

I found a woman who wanted nothing, and somehow, that made me want to give her everything. It wasn’t one big moment that convinced me she was the one. It was the conversations that never felt forced, the way her mindset challenged mine, and the quiet confidence in how she carried herself. She showed me that love isn’t loud all the time; it lives in the details, in the consistency, in the intention behind every little thing. I started to notice it in the smallest ways: how thoughtful she is, how she shows up, how she cares without needing recognition. Her heart spoke long before words ever could. And in that, I saw something real, something rare. She didn’t ask for much, but she gave effortlessly. Her commitment, her energy, her presence… it all felt genuine. And that’s when I knew, this wasn’t something you question, this is something you protect, build, and grow. With her, love feels natural. Solid. Certain. So I chose her, fully and without hesitation, because when you find someone whose heart aligns with yours in the simplest, purest ways… You don’t hold back. You give her everything.

I’ve always known that my social battery resembled that of a catfish, so from the very first time we met, I was surprised by how naturally comfortable he made me feel. Somehow, he kept me engaged without ever making me anxious, and before long, I found a sense of peace in his presence that I had never experienced before. As our relationship grew, so did my certainty that he was truly special. I had always assumed it would take someone extraordinary to blend seamlessly into my large, loud, and close-knit family, but he did it with an ease that still impresses me. There is a certain gift a person must have to walk into my family and feel like they have always belonged there, and he has exactly that. Watching him laugh with my uncles and aunties, bond effortlessly with my little cousins, and win over my Grammy only deepened my love for him in ways words fail to express.

While I was simply enjoying the comfort, laughter, and love we had built together, he was quietly planning forever behind the scenes. Apparently, everyone already knew what was coming except me. The day somehow began with a 7 a.m. phone call from a friend discussing my already planned dinner with him; ensuring I wore a specific dress, my makeup ate, shoes, bag, perfume, and her nonstop excitement. You’d think alarm bells would be ringing in my head at this point, or a thought, an assumption at the very least, right? Nope. I went to dinner on a snowy day in heels, a white mini dress, and Italian food on the brain. Then, came home with tear-stained makeup and a ring on my finger with a “She said Yes” cake, obviously now in a pair of boots and his hoodie. Looking back now, it makes perfect sense. The ease I felt with him from the beginning slowly became the kind of love that felt like home, not just to me, but to the people I love most.