My story with Mariano started with a little Halloween magic, thanks to my best friend Paulina. She and Mariano were coworkers, and she brought him along to our annual friends’ Halloween party. I was creatively costumed as a rather scary/ugly doll. Even with the spooky makeup and the party buzz, there was an immediate connection. A week later, Mariano asked me out, and that was the beginning of our adventure together.