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Once upon a time, on a cold November night, I popped open my phone to send Elaine a DM (direct message). We were supposed to meet up and have a casual drink at Ormsby’s, a midtown bar that offered drinks and mini-games. Elaine was a girl I had just met a couple of hours prior when she stumbled upon the restaurant, Wasabi House, where I worked to grab a bite to eat before her Friendsgiving get-together. She was new to the area and hadn't met many people since moving from Charlotte. My mission was to learn a little more about Elaine and find out why she sparked my interest.

I parked my car in the deck outside of Ormsby’s, smoking a cigarette, and wondered if she would show up. I wasn’t sure since we had only casually chatted about this spot near her place. I sat around thinking maybe I had been stood up, but to my amazement, I saw her walking over. My first thought was that she was cute and innocent-looking, with a nice, warm, calming aura surrounding her. I didn’t sense any red flags.

We opened the doors to Ormsby’s and tried to navigate through the crowded room of college kids and old people. I grabbed her hand and took the lead to get downstairs. I didn't think much of it since it was crowded and I didn't want to lose her in the pack of wild animals thirsty for a drink and a good time. To my surprise, she held my hand.

After finding a bar and getting a round of drinks, I spotted a jukebox in the corner of my eye. I walked up, swiping through the songs on the jukebox, and happened to find Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’." I tried several times to play the song, but after being told by the bartender that it was banned, I was like, "WTF?" Elaine and I ended up back at the bar, casually talking about how we both ended up in ATL. Not sure how long or how many drinks I had pounded, I looked up at her and thought things were hitting off pretty well. It could have been the fifth or sixth drink, but I didn't stop believing I could lay a kiss on her. As I went for the kill shot, I ended up getting a lip full of air as she pulled away. In my mind, I don’t lose, and I'm persistent till the end. Try again; it must be some kind of error. After that moment, things were history.

"Ding ding" – the alarm on the iPhone wakes me up. Was I still dreaming? It was a good dream if it was. I checked my phone. It was fate that the stars had aligned.

Looking back from the clouded haze of events and trying to piece things together, love does hit you in ways you can’t imagine or expect. From that day until now, we haven’t left each other’s side and stuck through the craziness of Covid and the unknown. I hope all of you join us on our journey of leveling up and meeting the new Phong-Kimm Dynasty.