We first met at Orlando's Grandma's house in November 2012. I was living in Charlotte, NC at the time and came home to Georgia for Thanksgiving. Before I moved to Charlotte, I was tutoring/mentoring his youngest sister Ty'esha, so I decided to swing by to visit her.
When I arrived, Orlando answered the door and told me she was on her way back to the house. He asked how I was doing and welcomed me inside, so I sat in the living room to wait for her. Orlando was sitting across the room watching TV. He asked if I wanted anything to drink. I declined and continued to scroll through my phone. Orlando would glimpse at me every now and then. I would look up or around and he would look away. He claims that he was shy. :)
I waited for 20 minutes or so before Ty'esha called back to let me know she would be a little longer than expected. I decided to leave and connect with her later that week. Orlando walked me to the door. I told him thank you and before I walked to the car, he asked if I had a Facebook page. I told him yes, and he mentioned that he would find me and maybe we could stay in touch. I said ok (not thinking any more of it).
He sent me a DM and we talked via Facebook for about a month before we decided to exchange numbers and the rest is history!
--Candace & Orlando
After a few months of hours on FaceTime and long text threads, Orlando made a weekend trip to Charlotte. I showed him around the city and my favorite places so far, then we grabbed drinks and food at Red Robin. We spent all weekend sharing stories, laughing, and just enjoying each other's company. It was perfect!
--Candace
After 7 years of dating, I asked Candace's Mom and Uncle JP for their blessing to propose. With the help of Candace's sister, Kelli, and my best friend, Jerbari, we planned a picnic date in Piedmont Park for her birthday in October, where I proposed. We worked with a videographer to capture this special moment. She said YES!! We celebrated that night at Ponce City Market with close friends and family. This is one of my proudest moments in life.
--Orlando