In Malaika's words:

Around Nuvi’s birthday he said he wanted to go on a trip to London. He previously lived there and said he wanted to go for a visit. Leading up to the trip, he made a lot of odd comments like "be fancy, we could run into the prime minister at dinner" and "you might just take pictures you'll always look back at for the rest of your life." I was beginning to suspect he had big plans for our time in London, but he was still cryptic enough to leave me confused.

The evening of his birthday, Nuvi told me he had a small get together planned with friends from high school. He asked that I met them at a restaurant later. In reality, he had booked an entire restaurant on the top of a skyscraper in downtown London. The restaurant was overlooking the river and the city. In the afternoon, when a makeup artist, who Nuvi booked, stopped by my hotel room, I began to get nervous.

Because life isn't a fairytale, nothing went according to plan. Nuvi had told me to pack a black dress and wear it to dinner. When putting it on, the zipper on my dress broke. It was the only black dress I packed, so I was forced to literally sew myself into the dress. When I called Nuvi to tell him I would be running late, he mentioned that the elevator at the restaurant stopped working. Without knowing he was on the 99th floor, I told him not to worry and that I would take the stairs. When I arrived to the location, the security guards (they also were aware of the surprise) must have thought that Nuvi needed more time. So, they purposefully, led me to a different side of the tower. This side required additional screening with a metal detector. The bracelets and earrings I was wearing set off the detectors and caused a bit of a scene.

Finally, when I finally reached the correct location, the elevator was back to working without an issue. I arrived on the 99th floor, where the host then told me that I would be unable to enter the restaurant due to a private event. At the same time, I looked up and saw Nuvi anxiously pacing- waiting for me to arrive.

I, immediately, began telling him about the dramatic evening when I noticed roses all over the restaurant. I also noticed that none of his high school friends were present. There was a large gift box on the table that Nuvi said was for me. I quickly realized this was not a birthday dinner.

After the meal, Nuvi told me to close my eyes. When he finally told me to open my eyes, and he was on one knee.

N&M

Wedding Day