After dancing around each other for the past couple of years, a mutual friend of ours (Ayanna) suggested, no urged, or maybe she suggestively urged us to have one phone conversation. So after years of dancing around it, I, Clifford, finally relented and asked Ayanna to ask her for her number. In typical fashion when I called her she didn't answer and she even sent me as text back that read (and I am paraphrasing)..."I will call you when I get back to Texas..." after a few weeks went by I inquired again about her availability and she simply copied and pasted the previous text message with the same exact wording. Needless to say I was taken a back. So I expressed my displeasure to our mutual friend about her actions, or lack thereof, and told her I was done! The very next day I received a text message from Sophia about the nature of her text message as well as a backhanded apology. We then agreed we would speak over the phone the next day after work and from the very first interaction we had on the phone we haven't stopped talking and laughing since!

Cliff gave his story of how we met; so, I decided to tell everyone about our first date. It started off horrible! Besides the awkwardness, he stopped at several establishments on our evening stroll towards the Congress Avenue Bridge. We spent a lot of time at each stop along our journey to the bridge. I did not know if he was nervous, not interested, or had no plan of action. I can rule out not interested (look at us. we are getting married). Needless to say, he pulled it together - God answered his prayers- and the second half of our date was perfect. He maintained my attention for the rest of the night with his jokes and descriptions of object's reflection on the water. I am glad that I endured the suffering to be where we are today.