We first met at a party in College Town as freshmen at Spelman and Morehouse in Atlanta. But our love story didn’t begin until we bumped into each other between classes during our junior year. It was love at “second sight,” and after exchanging a few text messages, we went on our first date at a Spelman stage play. From then on, we were inseparable. We started dating around the time of Spelhouse Homecoming, and according to our friends, we were notably “absent” for much of that year’s events... We were definitely up to something.
By the time we made it to graduation in 2011, we had a serious decision to make. We knew we had something special and didn’t want it to end. So despite our careers leading us to different cities, (Jade to Washington D.C. and Terrence to Kansas City) we jumped head-first into the ultimate test that is a long-distance relationship. It wasn’t easy. There were a lot of text messages, emails, Skype sessions, handwritten cards, and flights back and forth for visits. In the end, our long-distance journey built a foundation of trust and strong communication between us that brought us closer than ever. In 2017, we put a finish line on long distance, and Terrence moved to DC. We were on to something very serious.
It was a clear black night, a clear white moon… The scene was set for a date night that I’d planned at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. That night, Brandy was the scheduled performer and my grand plan was to propose in the lobby area in front of everyone during the intermission. Well... God had other plans, and, in the middle of performance day, I learned that Brandy cancelled the concert “due to vocal duress.” I weighed my options but decided to stick with the original plan, since I knew Jade would appreciate the iconic venue. When Jade and I arrived at Kennedy Center, I surprised again to learn that it was also Star Wars night and there were people dressed up in costumes throughout the building. As we walked in the building, I did my best to talk over Jade’s questions about the weird costumes and laughed in nervous confusion and anticipation over what my next move would be. As we walked toward the empty auditorium, I told Jade how much she meant to me and how I wanted nothing more than for us to spend our lives together. And then I popped the question. I hired an old friend to capture the moment and it’s something I will never forget. I still believe we’re on to something and that’s officially never going to change.