A month and A day: A love story that ended too soon.

By Benjamin Chet Crooms

After Ben and Toyka's first date, Ben couldn't imagine life without Toyka by his side. He didn't allow the fact that They lived in different cities or their different walks of life to keep him from professing his love to her. Not long after that first date, they discovered they were soulmates leading Ben to get down on one knee. However, this lo

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jenique
• Release date: Sep 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988734918

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Jenique’s King Publishing LLC

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ISBN NUMBER 979-8-9887349-0-1

Copyright © 2023 by Benjamin Chet Crooms III

All rights reserved.

This book is solely dedicated to my late wife Toyka Crooms, you will remain in my heart forever.

Contents

Chapter 1: The Meet Up

Chapter 2: Run It Back

Chapter 3: Diamond in the Rough

Chapter 4: The A word and The V word

Chapter 5: Meet The Parents

Chapter 6: Faith, Hope, and Love

Chapter 7: Soon Forever

Chapter 8: Birthday Special

Chapter 9: The Excitement

Chapter 10: THE MOVE

Chapter 11: The Month

Chapter 12: THE DAY

Foreword:

A Beautiful Relationship Cut Short

Life is unpredictable, and your life can suddenly change in the blink of an eye. This book is a collection of beautiful memories and demonstrates how one young man experienced a sudden life change. I am Eugene Shuler, the father of whom this book is about and the author’s father-in-law. I met Ben in June 2020. My daughter, Toyka, brought him to the house for dinner one evening. She and Ben had been talking and seeing each other in a long-distance relationship for a while. She thought it was the right time to introduce him to the parents. My wife (Theresa) and I were impressed by his quiet and slightly shy demeanor. Ben was polite, and it was always yes ma’am and no sir when we asked questions regarding getting to know him. Following that initial meeting, it didn’t take long to see Ben as a good, Godly man suitable for our daughter. Theresa and I had prayed for years that God would send our daughter the man of His choosing to be Toyka’s husband. It was apparent God had answered our prayers. One day while at our home preparing for Toyka’s birthday celebration, a week early, Ben privately asked me for Toyka’s hand in marriage. I gave him the usual dad interrogation speech like, do you love her?, you know that’s my little girl… and stuff like that, then gave him the green light to propose.

Ben is a thoughtful, gentle, and giving soul. An example of his character is something he did following Toyka’s passing away in the fall of 2021. Ben paid the balance owed on Toyka’s car note and gave the car to her sister, Erika, as a gift. He said he didn’t need two vehicles, and Erika was looking desperately to replace her car. You couldn’t ask for a better person to know and interact with than Benjamin Chet Crooms.

Ben’s only credentials to write this memoir are his personal and intimate involvement during his engagement and subsequent marriage to our daughter. In this book, he shares emotional, private moments in their relationship. As you read through the chapters, it will generate both laughter and tears. This book is therapeutic for Ben and our family as we read the stories and anecdotes that will help us continue to work through the grieving process. Reading this book could also help others who may be grieving the loss of someone close to them. I pray that it inspires every reader to never give up hope for a brighter future following a personal loss.

by Eugene Shuler

Chapter 1:

The Meet Up

May 22, 2020, is a day I will never forget. As usual, I got up for work at 2:00 am. However, I was a little more anxious to end my workday that Friday because I had planned a date for that night. I was a little nervous and very excited about it; after speaking on the phone for two weeks, we would finally meet. Let me elaborate on why I was so excited about our date. After our first phone conversation, I discovered that she was one of a kind. I couldn’t compare that conversion we had to any other; in fact, I couldn’t compare her to anyone else. She was unique; as a matter of fact, her middle name rhymed with unique; Jenique. She was a very beautiful woman of God who was easy on the eyes and ears. After talking for hours, I discovered she was a very accomplished college graduate, operations supervisor, and small business owner. However, the most important thing wasn’t any of those things; it was her relationship with God, family, and friends. Those were the things that made me become her number-one fan! So, here it is.

I was making my last delivery for the day and off to the hotel to prepare for the big date; I forgot to mention that we lived in different cities, and thankful for my position as a route truck driver. It landed me in her town every Friday. As I was en route to the hotel, my mind was all over the place, and I wondered how to make a great first impression. I know; I could buy her flowers. So, I stopped and found the freshest roses I could find. They were white and pink; the white roses stood for new beginnings, and the pink roses stood for elegance. I couldn’t wait to put them in her hands, to put a smile on her face, and maybe that would help to break the ice. So, I checked into my hotel.

Good afternoon Mr. Crooms; thank you, they’re beautiful! said the front desk clerk.

Thank you, and I’m sorry. If I knew you like flowers, I would have got you some too!

We laughed, and she said, You’ve been coming here for years, and I’ve never seen you with flowers in your hand before. She has to be an extraordinary woman.

I answered, Yes, she is!

Have a wonderful night, Mr. Crooms. Then she gave me the key to my room. I couldn’t have ran to the elevator fast enough, even if I was a star running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Super Bowl. Off to the shower, I picked up my luggage to decide which outfit to wear, considering I packed four. So, I finally found the best shirt and pants to wear. My phone goes off, and it’s a text message. Hi Ben, I’m outside in front of the hotel.

I called her and said, You’re a pretty fast driver. I’m heading down now.

As I was coming down the elevator, I started praying, "Lord, if this woman of God is the Queen I’ve been praying to You for, speak to her heart and intervene. Open up both of our hearts and minds