It all started on August 13, 2022. Mila was born in Venezuela on Valentine’s Day and moved to Miami in 2019. After visiting Chicago, she instantly felt connected to the city, so she made the decision to move there in 2020. She settled into an apartment at 528 W. Wellington Ave., not knowing that this address would play a significant role in her life.

Jack, a lifelong Chicagoan, had also moved into the same building in 2022. Though they occasionally saw each other in passing, their paths didn’t truly cross until one afternoon when they both found themselves leaving the building at the same time while walking their dogs. Jack asked if his dog could say hello to Mila’s, but she explained that her dog wasn’t great with unfamiliar animals. That was end of it—until the night of August 13, 2022.

That night, Mila was walking her dog down the street from their apartment. Jack, returning from a friend’s place, noticed her walking her dog and immediately seized the opportunity to strike up a conversation with her. He approached her with the excuse of wanting to meet her dog. The conversation naturally started with talk about their dogs and soon moved to more personal topics. When the conversation died down, Jack asked for Mila’s number. Though a bit shy, Mila agreed. The next day, when Jack went to text her, he realized he had forgotten her name. There was no way he could find her name through the 100s of contacts in his phone. Luckily theres an app for that. He downloaded an app that shows recently added contacts and there it was- Mila Quintero. He quickly messaged her and suggested they take the dogs for a walk to the Lake. Mila agreed.

The walk was the start of something special. That evening, as they sat on the steps by the lake with their two dogs looking out into the city talking about life and dreams, Jack knew without a doubt that Mila was the one. It marked the beginning of a beautiful journey filled with love, laughter, and countless adventures