If you ask Karen:

Corey and I worked together many moons ago. At a different job, I was coming back from lunch, passing by several people, Corey stuck out to me as a sense of distant familiarity. I didn’t say I anything to him at first because I couldn’t place where I knew him from. It took me weeks, but I finally figured out that I knew him from the job I left way back when. I stopped and asked him his name and if he remembered me. He didn’t initially; although when I mentioned I had a change made, he remembered me then 😊

The longer we were together, I just knew I wanted him as my partner in life. When we took our first vacation, it solidified more that he was a pretty amazing person. We’ve had some uncomfortable conversations and situations over the years. He let me know that things could get hard and we’re still in it for each other.

Fast forward, we enjoyed more vacations, summers that we’d go hang out, or those evenings that I’d cook, he made amazing drinks, listen to music, playing the game…all of it. I enjoyed that we didn’t have to always be in each other’s faces while being in the same room with each other.

On Saturday, January 28th, 2023, Corey wanted to celebrate his birthday at a nice restaurant with family and friends. Little did I know I was planning the scene for him to propose. He asked me to marry him, and here we are!

If you ask Corey:

SCENE: Morning, getting breakfast at work... So I was walking back to my desk after ordering a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sammich and I hear someone call my name from down the hall. ..which was odd because everyone I know was already upstairs in the office. Plus folks that know me wouldnt be yelling my name half way down the hall. Ion like that!

So I turned around and see this light-skinned woman staring at me with these big glossy inquisitive eyes and a little short curly afro. I looked behind me to verify I'm the one she's talking to... even though shes said my name but I dont know her!!!..

So she repeats my name. COREY..I respond. YOU TALKING TO ME?. as if there is more than one Corey in a narrow hallway,. She responds.. "Yes, you!"... So we begin this back-and-forth game of How-Do-You-Know-Me with me as the game show host and her answering questions .. and she says I knew her before and gave very specific scenarios, scenarios that I remember but I dont remember you in these scenarios young-light-skinned-lady-yelling-my-name-across-the-hallway. So i ask her full name ,cause you aint the person I remember in the stories you telling....

I go back upstairs and we begin texting. AND through some precise questions I'm asking, it becomes glaringly clear why I don't remember her as she was then, (those that know, know, not repeating it here).. OH, I MEMBER YOU.. oh OK.. yeah now We are on the same page.. what's good with it..!.. So we started catching up... and then starting spending time around each other, nothing serious just long lost acquaintances becoming friends and friends dabbling into something else.

Late evening lunches, sporadic evening conversations and running in the forest preserve. ( lol.. sounds random dont it .lol. ) While it started rough and bumpy, it became more level and smooth. She likes what I like.. We started sharing more and it was easy and uncomfortable and annoying while yet comforting, and I started feeling things I wasn't expecting.... and then I made a decision.

I like what she likes... then I talked to her brothers, father, cousins, and friends years before my intentions were laid bare. And here we are.. . It's a 2000 zero zero party over affair.. and we're about it...thank you all for being here.

Registry