Andye (American, 25) studied for her master's degree in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2016. She spent a month traveling the world before receiving her degree. Her final destination was Paris, France, to visit her best friend.
On the subway to her friend's house, Andy met Steven, (living in France, 26 years old), studying for a master's degree in Paris and working part-time at school. On the crowded train, Steven noticed Andye. "She was really beautiful," he recalled. They sat opposite each other, Steven occasionally glancing at the girl.
Andy also noticed him. "When he turned to look at me, I looked away. This went on for 15 minutes. He had very nice, muscular arms."
Steven and Andye met by chance on the train.
When their eyes accidentally met, Andye saw Steven's lips move. So she took off one of her earphones, indicating that she was listening to him. Steven spoke to Andye in French, pointing to the empty seat next to her and suggesting that she put her backpack on it to make it less heavy. The conversation continued with other content.
Andye was about to get off to change trains when Steven asked if he could get off at the same station as her. Steven nodded and helped Andye take her backpack. They caught the next subway together. At the end of the day, they exchanged phone numbers. Andy went to her friend's house to tell her about the guy she had just met. Steven was late for work due to a change in route.
That evening, Steve texted Andye. "When she replied, I screamed and ran to my cousin. I told her that Andye was the woman I would marry." They planned to meet in Amsterdam. On their first date, Steve invited Andye to dinner at a cheap restaurant. Inside the restaurant, Steven said he was looking for a girlfriend. Andy appreciated this frankness. After dinner, they went downtown and went to a bar. When Steve dropped Andye off at home, he kissed her goodbye. Since he was late, and they were in the suburbs of Paris, Steven realized that the train had already left. He had a long way to go home, but that was "no problem" for the man in love.
When she graduated and was about to return to the US, Andy returned to Paris to meet Steven. They walked along the Champs Élysées, past the Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower... During those days, Steven proposed to Andy. They continued to keep in touch when Andy returned to the US. Later that year, she worked for an international organization based in Washington DC. Her job often required her to fly to Guinea. She was delighted to discover that all her connecting flights were through Paris.
The couple quickly became engaged.
Both found their other half.
In March 2017, they met again at Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris). Andy stayed there for 24 hours to wait for a connecting flight. "We talked a lot, hugged a lot," Steven said of that meeting. Since then, every time he went on a business trip, Andy met Steven in Paris.
But this made Steven unhappy. He felt guilty that every time they met, it was only Andye who had to move. But he did not have a US visa. That made Steven worried, but he did not share it with Andye. And Andy thought that Steven was bored with this relationship. They disconnected for a while.
A few months later, when they met again, Steven told Andye about his concerns, about how Andye was always the one to come see him. But she said it wasn't a problem, because those trips were combined with work. Later that year, Steven wrote to Andye's mother, introducing himself and affirming the seriousness of the relationship. Steven's message took their relationship to the next level. They began to talk further about their future together.
In November 2017, Andy went to France for a week. Steven proposed to her. "It felt as sweet as the first day I met him," she said of the moment she said "I do." They got engaged. In the summer of 2018, Andy moved to France to live with Steven. She also found a new job in Paris, but things were harder than they both thought. They realized Andy would be better off returning to the US.
The couple first dated in Paris.
In July 2019, Steven came to the US under Andye's sponsorship. They got married in September of that year and announced their happiness in Haiti, where Andye was born and raised. All plans had to stop because of the pandemic. They were also severely affected by Covid-19: Steven lost his job and Andye got sick and had to be hospitalized. During that difficult time, they were always together, spending time cooking, sewing, and learning more about design.
In the summer of 2021, they moved to Florida. Andye said she felt at peace there. After the world reopened, the couple traveled to Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Costa Rica together. Telling their love story, they both felt it was fate. "If we hadn't been on that train that day, we might not have met each other," Andy said of her story of "going out for three days and getting the husband of her dreams."
