It was January 2020, the beginning of a new year and new things. I had it in my mind to delete all the dating apps on my phone; I was so over it! On Saturday, January 25, 2020, at 3:50 am, I received a notification that I had a message on the dating app Hinge. As I went to the app, rolling my eyes, I looked at the message, and it read, “Hi, how are you doing?” I was extremely hesitant to respond given the time of the morning this message was sent “Booty Call Hours.” I said to myself, Esh respond one time for courtesy, but do NOT send anything else until later that morning......and you can’t be mad if the following message sent is an inappropriate image. So, I responded, “Hi, I’m good, and you?” After the message was delivered, we both fell asleep.

Jay beat me to the punch and sent me a message at 8 am in the chatroom again of, Hinge. “Wow, I fell asleep...Good Morning, Sweetie” I said. “Hi, Good Morning,” Jay responded “Nothing much, my future wife,” I remembered laughing, answering back, “Ooo, someone is confident confident.” Our conversation continued to persist discussing where we lived, and he said he was from Brooklyn. I mentioned I reside in Westchester, which he abruptly texted in the chatroom, “Damn, that is Mad far!” I was a bit on the offense after he made that comment, explaining to him that I consider Brooklyn not far at all, considering I was born and raised in the Bronx and worked in the city, so that is not an issue. In my feelings after our conversation, I left the chat room, assuming that Jay was unwilling to pursue due to our distance so Why waste my time??

Six days later, I returned to our chat in Hinge and gave a quick “Hi” Jay immediately responded, “You forgot me...Lol,” Again, I was in my feelings, and said, “Yes, you tried to play me that I live far!” Shortly after, he exchanged his number with me, and my first request was for him to Facetime me so that we could verify each others identities. He said that he doesn’t have an iPhone, but he could WhatsApp me (In my head, I’m like yeah, this is NOT going to work....Android for real?!?) Jay responded, “Say no more” as he WhatsApp me. I’m praying as I answered the video call from WhatsApp and was relieved responding “Oooooo its really you!” After the video chat ended, we both agreed to meet in person for our very first encounter/date in the city (central point) that we scheduled for the day after Valentine’s day (February 15, 2020).

Our first date and unknowingly our last date went very well. After our first date, two weeks later, the pandemic of COVID-19 hit and shut the whole world completely down. We were so looking forward to making another in-person date. However, the pandemic altered our plans. Shortly after, I acquired the Flu (scary times, I thought at the time, I contracted COVID-19). Jay was so sweet, kind, and thoughtful during my recovery time from the Flu. He called every day and sent me a silver necklace with a pendant engraved with my first initial “I” via Amazon prime (Ayeeeee). Flattered, and at this point, I was like, hmmmm...I wonder. Jay was anxious to see me, and I was anxious to see him again. We finally got to see each other at the beginning of March 2020. This time he came to Westchester to visit me. I was shocked, and he stated: “I must be really feeling you to pay a toll to come see you...Lol.” After Jay’s first visit to Westchester, he visited me EVERY weekend and COOKED (Yes, he’s a Chef) without any complaints. In the last week of March 2020, a couple of days before my birthday, we both agreed to become mutually exclusive.

On August 1, 2020, we got ENGAGED and from that moment on, it has been nothing but PURE BLISS!!! We chuckle each month as we put money on our Ezpasses in preparation to pay a toll to see each other weekly. Jay and I are blessed that we both made the CHOICE to take the CHANCE that ultimately CHANGED our lives!


Best,
Iesha & Jay
#SouffrantAndCenter2023