Rebecca and Steve

The parents of flower children, Elizabeth and Adrianna, have a romance steeped in determination. “He stalked me at my job at Teavana in the mall. He’d come in every day for a cup of tea, then he ended up asking for my number.” That was four years and one set of identical twins ago.  And does Steve still indulge in a daily cuppa? “I don’t work at Teavana anymore,” said Rebecca. “We can’t afford it without the store discount.”

- Pumpkin Festival, Hudson, N.H.

Kim and Mark

What’s the secret to a long, a happy romance? Live in different states and stay single. At least that’s how it looks for Mark and Kim, both 51, who have dated for 19 years, have never been married before and have no children. The couple talked about their relationship before a Bingo game started at a Kiwanis Club one recent, winter afternoon.  One day in 1995, Kim visited a phone company for her job as a corporate travel agent. Mark, an electrician, was doing repairs in the room in which Kim was working.  “I asked her to go to the office Christmas party,” said Mark.  “I said ‘no’ at first because I wasn’t an employee of the company,” said Kim. But Mark said he could get her a ticket.  “It was a good party,” Kim recalls. “It was love at first date,” said Mark, who guessed it was a black frock Kim wore that night. “It was a green, strapless dress,” she said. So will the couple ever marry? They’re pretty sure – yeah – someday. But in the meanwhile, said Kim; “The way things are - keeps things fresh.”