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Andye (25 years old, American) studied for her master's degree in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2016. She spent a month traveling the world before receiving her diploma. Her final destination was Paris, France, to visit a close friend.
Andye met Steven (26, living in France), a master's student in Paris working part-time at the school, on the crowded subway train. Steven noticed Andye. "She was really beautiful," he recalled. They sat opposite each other, and Steven occasionally glanced at her.
Andye 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 she wanted to listen. Steven spoke to Andye in French, pointing to the empty seat next to them and suggesting she put her backpack there to lighten the load. The conversation then continued with other topics.
Andye was about to get off to change trains when Steven asked if he could get off at the same station as her. Receiving a nod, Steven helped Andye carry her backpack. They boarded the next subway train together. At the end of the day, they exchanged phone numbers. Andye went to a friend's house to tell her about the guy she'd just met. Meanwhile, Steven was late for work due to a route change.
That evening, Steve texted Andye. "When she replied, I screamed and ran to my cousin. I told her that Andye would be the woman I would marry." They planned to meet in Amsterdam. On their first date, Steve invited Andye to dinner at a casual restaurant. Inside the restaurant, Steven said he was looking for a girlfriend. Andye appreciated this straightforwardness. After dinner, they went to the city center and to a bar. When he took Andye home, Steve kissed her goodbye. Because he was late, and they were in the suburbs of Paris, Steven realized the train had already left. He had a long way to go home, but that "didn't matter" to the guy in love.
Upon graduating and preparing to return to the US, Andree went back to Paris to meet Steven. They strolled together along the Champs Élysées, past the Trocadéro, and near the Eiffel Tower. During those days, Steven confessed his love for Andree. They continued to stay in touch after Andree returned to the US. Later that year, she started working for an international organization based in Washington D.C. Her job required frequent flights to Guinea. She was delighted to discover that all her connecting flights were through Paris.
The couple quickly became engaged.
They both found their soulmates.
In March 2017, they met again at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Andrey stayed there for 24 hours while waiting for his connecting flight. "We talked a lot, hugged a lot," Steven said about that meeting. Since then, every time Andrey travels for work, he meets Steven in Paris.
But this made Steven unhappy. He felt guilty that every time they met, it was always Andye who had to travel. But he didn't have a US visa. This bothered Steven, but he didn't share it with Andye. Andye thought Steven was tired of the relationship. They disconnected for a while.
Months later, when they met again, Steven told Andree about his concern regarding always being the one to see him. But she said it wasn't a problem, as those trips were for work. Later that year, Steven wrote to Andree's mother, introducing himself and affirming the seriousness of their relationship. Steven's message took their relationship to the next level. They began talking more about their future together.
In November 2017, Andye went to France for a week. Steven proposed to her. "I felt as peaceful as the first day I met him," she said of the moment she said "yes." They got engaged afterward. In the summer of 2018, Andye moved to France to live with Steven. She also found a new job in Paris, but things proved more difficult than they had anticipated. They realized Andye was best off returning to the United States.
The couple had their first date in Paris.
In July 2019, Steven immigrated to the United States under Andye's sponsorship. They held their wedding in September of the same year and celebrated in Haiti, where Andye was born and raised. All plans had to be put on hold due to the pandemic. They were also severely affected by Covid-19: Steven lost his job, and Andye contracted the disease and was hospitalized. During that difficult time, they stayed together, spending time cooking, sewing, and learning more about design.
In the summer of 2021, they moved to Florida. Andrey said she found peace there. After the world reopened, the couple traveled together to Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Costa Rica. Recounting their love story, both felt it was destiny. "If we hadn't been on that train, we might never have met," Andrey said about her story of "a three-day trip that led to finding the perfect husband."
