The mall has always been my favorite place, and that just so happen to be the place I met my favorite guy and man of my dreams. I met Richard in Virginia Center Commons Mall in Febuary of 2009. I initially wasn’t interested, but my sister was determined to make a love connection happen. As I walked out of the mall not thinking twice about asking for his number or vise versa, my sister turns around and goes back in the mall to get his number! I had absolutely no intentions on calling Richard, and I am sure he assumed the same. Well my sister was persistent, and yet again talked me into texting Richard that same day. Our conversation was very brief, as I didn't have much to say. After that day, which I would say a week after we met on February 12, 2009, I was sitting at my grandmother’s house waiting to go to class that evening and I decided to call this guy and see what all the hype was about, since I heard so much about him. That day, Richard was in the mall with his mother while she shopped. I remember talking to Richard for hours up until it the time I had class that night. Our conversation and connection was so deep that it was hard to hang up just to go to class. To say the least, I thought about him the entire time I was in class. I called Richard back that night after class and we continued to talk.

As the days and weeks went by, our conversations continued and our bond grew like no other. Our first date was on my 21st birthday. I never really had a special birthday before then, but Richard made it his duty to make it one to remember. From that day, Richard and I have been nothing less than best friends.