20 feet in the air, Kekoa reached out his hand to help Kristen up scaffolding for a mural in Harlem on a hot summer's day. He had just asked for her name, and upon hearing, "Kristen," and seeing her smile, he was in love. (Really, that was all it took.) She didn't need help up the structure, but she took his hand to join him on the painting. They ended up sharing life stories, goals and vision, laughs, and deli snacks for the remainder of the day, even when rain began to pour. That evening, Kristen discovered from Jeremy that Kekoa was a kajukenbo sifu, and with bursting excitement she ran to catch him in the downtown office elevator. "You do kajukenbo?! I do kung fu! Let's fight!" With this, Kekoa knew he had met the woman of his dreams. As if things couldn't get any better, the next day he confessed that he had been listening nonstop to his new favorite music. Kekoa was always obsessed with metal, and to Kristen's surprise, his new favorite was her own old metal band. He continued to blast her music every chance he got. She later gave him a signed copy, written to her #1 fan.

It did not take long for the two to realize that they were truly made for each other. It wasn't only in all the small things fitting together, but also in their significant differences that made them one impeccable team. At work, this team tackled murals, many different art projects, even a live painting in the American Museum of Natural History. In life, the team grew stronger as they brought out the very best in each other and sharpened one another through life's challenges. In the fall of the following year Kekoa and Kristen hit the streets of Diagon Alley in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and spent hours doing all the things that two nerds madly in love would, but the real magic was what came nightfall. At Hogwarts' first light show and fireworks show of the year, Kekoa got down on one knee and asked Kristen to marry him. She was so overwhelmed with surprise and joy, all she could repeatedly say was, "Are you serious?! What are you doing?!" (She didn't hear him ask the initial question over the booming of the fireworks.) He asked again, and she said, "Of course." Through tears and laughter, she was embraced by their family standing right behind them. Kristen and Kekoa are so excited for all that God has in store for their future together as husband and wife—the works of art, and the fighting too!