We first met in seventh grade when we both transferred to the same grammar school. Despite sharing hallways, we never spoke and only saw each other passing by. After graduation, we went our separate ways to different high schools.

On one eventful Halloween in 2010, Selena and Ezequiel both coincidentally volunteered at their former grammar school to complete community service hours. What started as an ordinary day quickly became unforgettable as they spent the day talking, reconnecting, and eventually exchanging numbers—unknowingly marking the beginning of something much bigger.

Over time, their contact faded. Until one day in 2013, when Ezequiel synced his contacts to Vine and noticed Selena’s profile appear. At the time, Selena was frequently posting short videos that captured simple, everyday moments of her life. Ezequiel had held on to her number all those years, and seeing her face pop up again felt unexpected yet familiar. He decided to leave a comment.

The comment completely caught Selena off guard. With no clear context in Ezequiel’s profile to clue her in that it was him, she was understandably confused. Ezequiel’s only post at the time was a still frame of a wooden model “throwing up” applesauce in his family’s kitchen.

After reconnecting, Ezequiel asked Selena out for coffee. By the very next day, they were sitting at a Starbucks on the corner of 49th and Cicero in Chicago, ordering a green tea Frappuccino and a Java Chip Frappuccino, and talking as if no time had passed at all.

Over the next two weeks, they became a constant presence in each other’s lives. They introduced one another to familiar places, rode bikes, went go-karting, shared stories, and spent their time catching up on everything they had missed in between. As they spent more time together, a special bond began to form.

On August 19, 2013, Ezequiel asked Selena if she would be his girlfriend. Selena said yes but she needed to ask her mom for permission.

Today, they live together in East Central Illinois and are now a family of four. Emilia, their firstborn cat, and Eloise, their second, complete their little family.