Discover our journey from chance encounter to true love.
In the heart of Chicago — where murals tell stories and neighborhoods hum with heritage — our journey quietly began. Jesse, a tech manager from Little Village, and Zarai, an artist and teacher from the vibrant community of Pilsen, were both living just two blocks apart. For months, we unknowingly shared the same sidewalks, breathed the same city air, and perhaps passed one another on countless occasions — never realizing that our soulmate was literally around the corner.
Like many pandemic love stories, ours began in a very 2021 way — on a dating app. But unlike most swipes and small talk, our connection sparked from something deeper. We met on Coffee Meets Bagel at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the world was beginning to open back up — and so were our hearts.What drew us together wasn’t a shared favorite movie or a clever pickup line. It was a question. A big one:
“What is the most vulnerable thing you’re willing to admit?”That’s how we introduced ourselves — skipping the small talk entirely. We were both searching for something meaningful, and that first exchange set the tone for everything that came next.Of course, our story almost never happened. After we matched, Jesse’s window to respond expired before Zarai replied. But in a twist of fate (and some perfect app timing), Zarai’s message came through anyway and reignited the connection. That second chance turned into hours of conversations, which turned into coffee dates, late-night walks, and eventually, a love that felt effortless and true.We built our relationship on honesty, humor, curiosity, and deep conversations — the kind that stretch long into the night and leave you feeling like you’ve known each other forever.
As the seasons changed and years passed, our love continued to grow, rooting itself deeply like an ancient tree. We supported each other through triumphs and trials, learning that the strength of our union lay not only in the joyous days but in our ability to weather storms together.
It was during a particularly challenging time that we came to realize the true depth of our partnership. It was more than love; it was a profound friendship that provided a foundation unshaken by life's ebb and flow. This realization only deepened our desire to build a future together, a future we now step into with shared dreams, aspirations, and an unbreakable bond.
Join us as we step into this new chapter, not just as two individuals, but as partners ready to face whatever life has in store, hand in hand, with love as our guiding light.
