We first crossed paths in high school band at Martha Ellen Stilwell School of the Arts. Neither of us realized that something so simple would end up shaping the rest of our lives.

For Tajhae, it began when his friend Jimmy discovered that a girl from band lived on their street and asked if she could give them a ride. For Kimata, it started with confusion and fear. A stranger walked up to her and asked if she lived on Jimmy Lee’s Circle, and as a committed Investigation Discovery watcher, she panicked internally. Once he explained that he and his friend needed a carpool ride, everything settled.

Soon enough, every morning involved stopping at Tajhae’s house first, then driving two houses down to wake up Jimmy in whatever way worked that day. Those chaotic rides became the backdrop to the beginning of something neither of them expected.

High school turned that chance connection into something real.

Tajhae:

I was quiet and reserved, but the more I talked to her, the more natural it felt. She started coming over after school, and we talked for hours in the garage, not noticing how much of a bond we were building.

Kimata:

Once my mom told me he was cute, I couldn’t unsee it. Suddenly, my long “walks” around the neighborhood always ended at his house. We went from the garage to the living room, which felt like a major upgrade at the time.

There were teenage mistakes, including the day her mom tracked her down to Tajhae’s house and dragged her home, resulting in a temporary breakup and a confiscated phone. But even teenage drama couldn’t stop something that was already taking root.

Then senior year changed everything. During a school fundraiser, Kimata was struck by a vehicle during a police chase, an accident that shook everyone. Through that difficult time, Tajhae showed up every day. He helped her into her wheelchair, pushed her to classes, drove her to dual enrollment, and made sure she felt supported. She saw how steady he was. He saw how strong she was. Their relationship grew from young love into something much deeper.

College put distance between them, but somehow brought them closer.

Kimata:

I went to UGA, and he stayed closer to home in Jonesboro, yet we saw each other more than ever. We drove back and forth to see each other, always finding a way to stay connected.

Tajhae:

We talked every day and visited each other as often as possible. We grew through conversation, intention, and effort.

Graduation season was overwhelming, but even in the chaos of ceremonies, exams, and family celebrations, they made sure to prioritize each other. Afterward, Kimata partnered with Tajhae’s mom to surprise him at his graduation dinner by tracking down a professor he admired. It was the kind of thoughtful gesture that reflected the way they had always cared for one another.

Life after college became real very quickly.

Kimata:

I started working at Resurgens Orthopaedics and studying for the MCAT. It was one of the most difficult seasons of my life. Work from eight to five, study from five to eleven, and barely have enough time to breathe. But even with my limited availability, Tajhae never once made me feel guilty. He supported me through late-night study sessions and exhaustion with surprise snow cones, fries, small treats, and constant encouragement.

Tajhae:

I knew what she was working toward mattered. My job was to show up in the ways she needed.

When she finally received her acceptance to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Suwanee, her first choice, they celebrated together because the entire journey felt like something they had accomplished side by side.

Now she is deep into medical school, and they live together, navigating adulthood as a team. The challenges and responsibilities are new, but so is the joy of building a life under the same roof.

Between the major milestones, there has been an entire world of small moments that shaped who they are together.

During the pandemic, they spent countless nights on the phone, keeping each other awake while Tajhae did DoorDash. Kimata worried so much about him being out late that she physically could not sleep until he was home, even if it meant being tired for class the next day.

They became self-proclaimed Mexican food connoisseurs, trying every budget-friendly spot they could find throughout Athens and Jonesboro. Even when money was tight and life was busy, they always made the most of every anniversary, laughing their way through whatever they could afford.

Their anniversaries tell their story as much as anything else. Their first anniversary included a Flipagram Kimata made with all their cutest pictures, including a visit to Tajhae’s mom at the World of Coca-Cola. Year five took them to an escape room and a hilarious, not-so-great Americana restaurant. Year six brought a VR game room, their first KBBQ, and the discovery that Tajhae should never own a motorcycle.

June 2020 brought deep conversations about values when they attended a protest together. Year seven included what is still considered the best Italian restaurant on the south side of Atlanta and their first cannolis. Year eight was the proposal, where Kimata knew something was coming because Tajhae had been a nervous wreck all day, but knowing did not stop the tears from flowing. Year nine brought an 11.5K hike simply because they wanted an adventure.

There were countless simple moments, too, like their first official date on November 20, 2016, at Cheddar’s, or the day Tajhae rushed into the boba shop just as Kimata started singing Jill Scott’s “He Loves Me” with the jazz ensemble, causing the entire shop to go wild because the timing was perfect.

Those memories, scattered between the big chapters, are the pieces of their relationship that show their laughter, their growth, their resilience, and the joy they find in simply being together.

Very early in our relationship I thought that once I became a doctor, I would keep the last name Thomas and be Mrs. Smith privately. But the way he has supported me through every challenge and milestone, I realized that I wanted to be Dr. Smith. Because I did not get here alone. He has been just as much a part of this journey as I am. And I cannot imagine going through any of it without him.

Planning a wedding has been its own adventure, full of unexpected twists. They changed their original vision from a destination venue to a shady stateside courthouse situation that was not what it claimed to be and finally found a place that feels right for who they are now. The timing is not perfect, but it fits their lives and everything they are working toward.

They are grateful to celebrate this moment with the people who have been part of their journey from the very beginning. And through all the planning, Kimata holds one truth: with Tajhae by her side, it will all turn out exactly the way it is meant to.

Here is to a lifetime to go.