Victor and I started as coworkers at a retail store. I had just moved from Laredo, Texas, and he had come from El Paso, both of us new to college life and figuring things out. I was married to my high school sweetheart at the time, but that relationship had already become toxic and abusive, something I was quietly enduring while still showing up to work. When we first met, we were young and focused on work and school, so we didn’t really notice each other beyond passing interactions. We were jus

Victor and I had our first date at a mariscos restaurant that is now home to my favorite ceviche ever. Since his parents speak Spanish and my family is Hispanic, I felt confident ordering. I asked for fried fish, expecting a little Luby’s-style fillet, but instead got a whole fish—eyeballs and all! I covered one eye while figuring out how to eat it. Victor just laughed and asked, “You didn’t know it came whole?” To this day, he still teases me whenever we go out for seafood.

We would use this opportunity to either secure a new home or stabilize our living situation. When we bought our home, COVID hit us hard—we are both educators. We went from enjoying spring break to a sudden snowstorm, then COVID hit. It became a constant challenge to recover financially and emotionally. We settled for what we could afford at the time, and now we would love the chance to move into a home that better fits our lives and brings us closer to stability.