Count Down Till Forever

It All Started Over Some Cake At Jenn Abbi’s birthday party. Prior to arrival, Eric’s plan was simple: deliver his gift, mingle briefly, and then head home. Kymonne’s plan was to celebrate with one of her oldest friends. Eric believes that when he entered the party, at that moment, time stood still for Kymonne. He moved on to chat with a few familiar faces, while she continued to get down on the dance floor. It was time to cut the cake. Everybody gathered around to sing happy birthday. He stepped back and bump into none other than his future wife. Eric didn't want to be rude so he apologized and introduced himself. They shared stories about the birthday girl and their mutual reluctance to indulge in a whole slice of cake alone. Her solution was charmingly simple: share it. So he retrieved the cake and two forks. The gentleman in him wanted to ensured she could take the first piece. What he was not expecting was for her to take that first piece and feed him the cake. Even though they just met, there was a familiarity between the two. The conversation felt so effortless and the night unfolded with joking, laughter, and dancing. She had to remind him a few times of the correct pronunciation of her name, Ky- maw- nee. He also discovered that he had a doctor in his presence and she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. She made him earn every digit of her phone number. As the party drew to a close, he walked her to her car, ensuring she drove off safely. He didn’t realize it at the time, but amidst the laughter and shared cake, he had found the love of his life.

Anyone that knows Ky, knows that she will try to figure out any surprise before it happens. So, trying to figure out the best way to propose was interesting. Talking to mom was easy. I stopped by the house one night and let her know my intentions: I planned on doing it at our favorite spot and where we had our first date- the Brooklyn Bridge. We got to planning. Instead of focusing on work, I was immersed in planning the proposal. Every day, I researched venues and worked on the guest list. Mom and I spent hours on the phone, coordinating details. We collaborated with Cousin Dawn on printing a banner, obtained a permit to propose in the park, and prepared everything in advance—the list goes on. After a few weeks, I finalized the venue and head count. Now it was time to figure out the logistics. Mom and I decided to make several trips to Brooklyn to scout the area and plan the proposal. Along with Anthony and Dave, the four of us visited Brooklyn at least three times, rehearsing movements, assigning spots for everyone— EVERYTHING. I got to dad after all this. After a few pep talks and wiping sweat from my face and hands, I shared my plan with him. Not knowing what to expect I got an “Ok thanks, I don’t work on Saturday, so I’ll be there.” The stage was set and the day finally came around. I was nervous, and of courseeeeee it had to start raining. But God always has his way of making sure things happen as they are supposed to. So a car ride later and a few steps in the mud, there we were. I got down on one knee, looking up at the love of my life, and waited (for almost five minutes) to hear her say yes.