Gather ’round, kids. It’s time a tell you a tragic love story.

Once upon a time, a young girl traveled with her family from Germany to live in the United States. It was a long, fraught journey, as the young girl had many siblings, as their poor mother had to care for all of them on her own. They made their life together here, establishing themselves as US citizens and settling in. The young girl grew up into a smart young woman with dreams of becoming a Marine Biologist. In the meantime, she became a successful Manager of a popular fast food chain and enjoyed being young.

Around the time this young woman turned 19 years old, a young man traveled to the US from Kuwait, with his own dreams. He was a clever Engineering student, who needed to improve his English before he could continue his studies. One fated night, this young woman and man met when their friend groups mingled. They talked, they laughed, they fell in love. As a result of their union, they created a life, thus beginning their very own secret baby trope. Hmm, how ironic.

Over the next nine months, the man and woman remained together, even though they didn’t know very much about each other, apart from their soon to be baby and that they loved each other. The man continued his studies at the local community college and the woman continued working hard at the restaurant – much to her dismay, as she was very sick the whole time.

Then one day, which happened to be two days after the woman’s birthday, she was playing poker with her family, when she start to have contractions. After some time, they went to the hospital, where the man and woman welcomed their baby girl into the world. They hugged her. They took pictures. They introduced her to her Oma, Aunts, and Cousins. They held and kissed her. They named her Nora and inked her tiny baby feet. And one day later, they said goodbye to her.

The man and woman remained together after the adoption. They moved across the country and lived together, while the man earned his Masters in Engineering. They enjoyed every moment they could with each other, as they knew their relationship was on a set timeline. In five years time, the man had to return to his country and, due to the culture, could not continue to have contact with the woman.

Eventually, as all of the tragedies dictate, the day arrived that they had to part ways forever. Many years later, their daughter would meet some of her family and hear the stories of how her parents met, fell in love, and gave her life. She would learn how her mother still very much loved her father, even though they were fated to be apart. Such is the way of some of the best love stories. It seems tragic, doesn’t it, to think about being gifted such a perfect pairing, only to have it taken away. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to romance novels because they end differently, right? They offer that promise of a fated mate, a beautiful love story, but with a guaranteed happily ever after. My wish for all of you is to find your people and get your own HEA. And if you can’t, I hope you at least have a few years of true love like my birth parents.