Once upon a camping trip, two 13-year-olds found themselves side-by-side on the same lake, armed with fishing rods and questionable patience. Young Jack, a cocky American who fancied himself quite the angler, decided to teach Laura, an exchange student from exotic Barcelona, how to cast a line. Little did he know, this wasn't her first time—but she played along, just to keep him talking. Their interaction that summer consisted mostly of awkward small talk, hesitant sidelong glances, and a grand total of one fish caught, but it was enough to leave an impression. When Laura went back to Barcelona, they kept in touch—first through Instagram comments, then with long, rambling messages. Eventually, they leveled up to handwritten letters and late-night FaceTime calls. For years, they danced around their feelings, each too stubborn (or too clueless) to admit they were hooked. But in their junior year of university, from South Bend to Rome, they finally confessed what they’d both known all along. Within a few short months, Jack had booked a flight to Barcelona, and they met for the first time in over seven years. The rest, as they say, is history. From fishing in the Pacific Northwest to adventures in Barcelona, Jack and Laura’s story is proof that sometimes, love bites even when the fish don’t.