Every great love story begins somewhere

Every great love story begins somewhere. We set out to discover the chance meetings with romance that changed people’s lives.

At First Sight
By Monica Hesse, January & February 2006

Late one night I heard someone banging around in the hallway outside my apartment door. It was so loud, I finally got up to investigate. When I opened my door, a man fell into my kitchen—passed-out drunk. I tried to shove him back into the hall, but he was too heavy. Instead, I left him on the floor, went to my bedroom, pushed the dresser in front of my door, and went back to sleep. Not long after, I married the lug. —Ann Frick, Mocksville, North Carolina

My wife and I met at a salon on Halloween. She was getting a manicure; I was having a fingernail of my vampire costume fixed. She thought I was either really weird or really fun but decided to hope for the latter. —Sandy Bumgarner, Rohnert Park, California

I used to work as a probation officer in western Washington State. I had one difficult parolee who kept reoffending. I was forever convincing him to go to the eastern side of the state—out of my jurisdiction. Once there, he'd reoffend and another parole officer would get him to move back west! Finally, this other officer and I decided to meet to discuss the problem. "This other officer" is now my wife. We didn't invite the probationer to the wedding. —Bill O'Connor, Anchorage, Alaska

I met the love of my life on July 1, 2005. We saw each other July 3, 4, and 5, and married on the 6th. When you wait 63 years for your soulmate, you're really sure when she comes along. —J.D. Stucker, Shelbyville, Kentucky

A recently divorced father, I phoned a local resource center to see if they knew of any single mothers who'd like a place to stay, rent-free, in exchange for watching my kids. For ten years this fantastic woman cared for "hers" and "mine." Then we got married, and now she cares for "ours." —John Grote, Bonney Lake, Washington

I was singing in a folk concert and planning to move to Washington the next day. But halfway through my set I heard a lovely voice harmonizing with me from the audience. I never made that trip. Instead, my wife and I just celebrated 24 years of marriage.—J.E. McCreary, Virginia Beach, Virginia