We met on BUMBLE. Tish thought Tommy was so handsome. She loved his beard. In all honesty, she doesn't remember what his profile said because once they began chatting it didn't matter. Tommy was so nice and respectful. When he asked if they could meet, there was no hesitation. We had our first date on Sunday, January 31st at South Point Mall. Tommy wanted to make sure he got to their meeting place early… he disliked being late and wanted to ensure he made a good impression. He was really hoping Tish looked like her pictures (one of the perks of online dating lol). As he waited for Tish to get to their meeting place he remembered seeing other women walking towards the entrance. An attractive woman walked up and he said a silent prayer to himself, “please let this woman be Tish because I’m going to introduce myself to her regardless.” Tommy began to walk towards her. He was thinking of the best way to introduce himself. As he got closer, she smiled. Once he was close enough to introduce himself, he said, “Hi, I’m Tommy” and thankfully her response was, “Hi, I’m Tish”. When Tommy heard that, in his mind, he was yelling THANK YOU JESUS!LOL! For the next two hours we spent time talking and doing bit of shopping. The conversation flowed with topics from Covid, to politics, to sports. The date was going well, but Tish wasn't feeling Tommy’s laugh. As we write this, Tommy is saying “come on, who doesn't like my infectious laugh, lol.” And Tish is giving him the sideeye (based on the first interaction of course because now his laugh is one of her favorite things). Tommy wanted to ensure he would have a second date with Tish. He told her he was going to bring her two of his homemade oatmeal cookies. He knew she would not be able to turn down him and his oatmeal cookies, lol. Boy was he right! It was not love at first meeting, but Tish will tell you it didn't take her long! Tommy's consistency, kindness, Love of God, and his homemade oatmeal cookies soon won her over. The Bride: Tommy would leave my place to go home and go to the gym. He would always text me when he got home, and I would wait for that text. One day, he forgot to. I texted him, nothing. I called, nothing. I waited another minute and called again, nothing. I got this sinking feeling and began to worry. I got dressed because I needed to make sure he was okay. I decided to call one more time, HE ANSWERED! I cried, so thankful he was ok. I knew then, I Love This Man. Tommy could hear the fear in my voice. He doesn't want me to ever feel the way I did on that day, and he will do everything in his power to make it so. He is my protector and he is selfless. I will love him forever. The Groom: We planned on going to Delaware for Thanksgiving 2022, to spend the holiday with her family. We are family orientated were looking forward to the holiday. Tish was excited to be going home to Delaware. Unfortunately, my Uncle Cullen passed shortly before Thanksgiving. Outside of my parents the most influential and impactful people in my life have been Aunt Helena and Uncle Cullen. Uncle Cullen’s passing was extremely tough for me and had me feeling out of it, numb, and in disbelief. It was difficult to tell Tish that I wasn’t feeling up to going to Delaware. I encouraged her to go ahead and go home. As much as I worked to reassure her I would be alright by myself, Tish decided to stay with me for the holiday. The spaghetti and Texas Toast Tish made for our Thanksgiving meal was one of the best meals I'd had. This meal was made with a love I had not experienced before. Tish’s choice to stay with me instead of going home not only fed me physically, but mentally and emotionally. It was at this moment that some of my favorite attributes of her shined the brightest which are her caring heart, support, encouragement, friendship, and understanding. Tommy, Tish, Zoey and Barkley, thank everyone that supported us on this journey and for celebrating this MARRIAGE that God brought together.