In August of ’22, I didn’t know that a slew of text messages from my cousin Angel who lived in Orlando, FL. would change my life. Her messages were photos of a handsome stranger I would come to know as Maurice Tomlinson. She informed me that he had grown up around our family in the FL area and was a good guy, who was interested in getting to know me. My next response was, “he knows I live in Los Angeles, right?” She told me yes and that he was not deterred from that. So reluctantly, l said yes to her giving him my number, and she said he would take it from there. I was more than skeptical this could work, for a few reasons, a big one being the great distance between us. Pushing that aside I remained open to what was possible.

Our first few conversations were pleasant some short some longer, and as the weeks carried on, they became more regular. I remember telling him, “I’m not going to do pin pal dating.” I can tell I threw him off with the concern in his voice when he asked what that meant. I explained, it meant, I am not about just talking on the phone, and we meet up a year later to see if this could work. To my surprise he quickly put a fix to that and asked if he could come visit me in LA to take me to the movies to see Wakanda Forever? I thought he was joking but when he sent me his confirmed airline info, I was impressed. Thinking that would be our first date, Maurice surprised me again by inviting me to Dallas, TX to attend his friend’s birthday party on October 30, 2022 ahead of our planned meetup in LA. In his words, “all you have to do is get to the airport, I’ll get your ticket and your own hotel room.” So, our first official date and meetup took place in Dallas, TX.

We spent the next several weeks and months traveling back and forth to each other’s hometowns, and other places across the country culminating in February ’23 when Maurice asked for us to date exclusively and then we took our relationship public. Our ultimate trip came in August of the same year when Maurice took me to Barcelona, Spain and Paris, France (my dream locations). I already knew he was my person before our trip but spending that week on vacation together really solidified it for me. I think my family and friends thought he would pop the question then, but something told me he would choose a different time. As my family and friends were on ring watch, we continued our back-and-forth travels. As the new year approached, we knew our 1yr anniversary was coming soon in February. We decided to do dinner in our respective cities since Maurice would have to work and not able to be with me on that day, (so he said). 😊

On February 21, 2024, the week of our anniversary Maurice surprised me at the restaurant we had dinner at during his first time visiting me in LA. Almost like something out of a movie, he walked in looking so handsome and happy with the surprise he placed on my face when I saw him. I remember some of the beautiful and loving words he said leading us up to this point as we sat down to order. If you had a chance to see our proposal video on social media, then you know how this all ended up. I’ve never been so happy and felt so loved. I didn’t’ know I could feel or have love like this and questioned if it really would find me. I knew I was ready for it and ready to give it, I’m just so happy God saw fit to have it happen in His perfect time. Now I get to marry my best friend and the man I know God has sent just for me.

My Love (God) story!

Love has always been a part of my life, even when I didn’t fully recognize it. It’s been there in quiet moments, in the connections I’ve made, and in the lessons, I’ve learned along the way. Now, with a bit more life behind me, I can see just how much love has shaped who I am. I’m talking about the kind of love that lasts—the real, deep love that makes everything else fall into place.

There came a point when I realized that if I was going to search for love again, I needed to be truly ready. I wanted my heart and mind to be in the right place. So, I turned to God, asking for one more chance. I prayed, “When I’m ready, just one more time. And if I don’t find it, I’ll still believe in love, but I’ll reserve it all for You.”

About a year before I felt this clarity, I had told my childhood friend that when the time was right, I was going to pursue his cousin. I knew in my heart that she would be the last person I would seek out—either she would be the one, or I would dedicate all the love in my heart to God alone. When the time came, I felt a calm strength within me, like the kind you find in Psalm 23:4: "I will fear no evil." With that feeling, I reached out to my friend’s sister and asked her to introduce me to her cousin (Tosha). She sent a few pictures of me, and that evening, I made the call that would change my life.

From the moment we started talking, I knew there was something special. It felt like everything in my life had led to that conversation, to that person. And in that moment, I realized—I had found my last. The search was over.

Thank you, Love. God is Love, and in finding her, I understand that more than ever.