TimeClock Love: Our Story

It all began on an ordinary Wednesday at the Ewing Home Depot place, neither of us would’ve expected to find something extraordinary. We were both standing by the time clock when he turned to me and asked, “Is your name Ebony?”

I smiled and replied, “No, but Ebony’s my sister.”

Then I turned and walked away, unaware that this brief exchange would be the first spark in something much bigger.

A few weeks later, I was promoted to Head Cashier. Frank well, he wasn’t exactly thrilled. He thought I was stealing all his hours (which, for the record, I wasn’t we didn’t even work the same shifts). His annoyance made me laugh, especially since he barely knew me, but that didn’t stop the universe from nudging us closer.

One summer day, I decided to wear a skirt with sneakers. Casual, comfortable, nothing fancy. But when Frank saw me, his eyes lit up.

“You look nice today,” he said, and then nudged Rasheeda, asking, “Sheeda, don’t Ja’mes look nice today?”

I laughed it off, still not fully catching on to how serious his flirtation was.

Then came the moment I couldn’t ignore. We were walking along the front apron when he picked up a body pillow, hugged it dramatically, and said, “I hold my pillows at night thinking it was you.”

I couldn’t help but smirk as I walked away, pretending not to be flustered.

Eventually, he asked for my Facebook name. I told him it was Annie Mae. Apparently, he searched for hours and still couldn’t find me. Determined, he ended up calling Rasheeda the next morning just to get it right.

A few days later, I saw him standing outside his job. I pulled up and said hi. He looked at me with mock hurt and asked, “Why didn’t you call me?”

I grinned and replied, “The phone works both ways, you know.”

That little moment turned into late-night phone calls. Those calls turned into our first date at TGI Fridays, where something clicked.

And on September 23, 2021, we made it official.

From that day forward, we’ve been inseparable proof that even the most unexpected moments (and misread time clock encounters) can lead to something beautiful, and on May 12, 2024, he asked me to be his wife.