As I reflect on my parents’ “love story,” I’m reminded of the cyclical feelings when it comes to love. When I recall kissing my girlfriend in her family’s car or holding her hand roller skating, I feel a line connecting all of us. The line eventually connects to some future teenager who learns their parents’ love story.  

The Day I Met Sonia

We both were working. Sonia was working for Burger King and I was working for Mrs. Fields Cookies. The restaurants were in an oasis, a fuel stop place. It was a Saturday night. Sonia came over to Mrs. Fields for help with her college English homework. I did not think anything of it. I was willing to help Sonia with her homework. We started talking about our past, our lives, our families. From that moment on, I enjoyed conversing with Sonia and, also, we had some laughable moments. -Arturo

The Day I Met Arturo

I met my husband in oasis while I worked at Burger King and he at Mrs. Fields Cookies. When I first saw him, he looked like a good person and humble. He didn’t talk to many others. When he entered to punch in at Burger King, that’s how I would see him, and I kept thinking about him; he caught my attention every time even though I didn’t converse with him. At the time, I was very timid, but with him I felt something every time I talked to him.

I ended up being the one to talk to him first. Unbelievably, he talked to me under the pretext that he would help me with my homework. That’s how we started talking and I was always going towards him to talk every time he had to work. We began to become friends; I told him of what was happening in my life. He knew everything about me and I knew everything about him. Then I realized there were girls who were going to talk with him –– and I didn’t like that. So I started  visiting him more often and talking with him especially when the girls were there.

After some time, he asked me if I wanted to go out with him; I was very happy and that was on April 29, 1997. When we became official, I remember — I won’t ever forget it, either — the next day I ended up working, but not him. My shift ended at 11:00 pm, and suddenly before 11:00 pm he came walking towards me, well-combed, with a gift, many lotions. He sat in front of the table closest to where I left from my shift; it was very lovely and beautiful, the emotion that I felt. – Sonia

Header image by Jake Runnion