On Halloween night, when ghosts whisper and monsters roam free, the line “trick or treat” brings terror into the night—but in the Fall of 2014, it was only a treat for Mark and Shirley. As Mark was visiting his best friend, Joe, and his friends in Binghamton University as per tradition in his undergraduate years, nobody knew that was the origin of his love story with Shirley. Mark, dressed as Chuckie from Rugrats, was shy as usual at a party until he saw Shirley, dressed as Lion King (or Queen). He had to introduce himself to her! Again…and again…and again…persistently approaching her. Shirley thought this was so odd that she found it hilarious (and hopefully cute) because she warmly accepted each new introduction just like Henry and Lucy from 50 First Dates. As the party died down and disguises were removed, Mark made sure to add Shirley on Facebook before falling asleep. Of course Mark was a lovey dovey gushy guy who told corny jokes because Shirley liked them. She indeed also felt a mutual attraction. But to his surprise..she rejected him three times!! Poor Mark was heartbroken, but persistence truly is key as he still wanted to be with Shirley when she finally approached him later. She really admired how he wanted to step back and work on himself despite trying so hard to be with her and getting rejected. His mature mentality and persistence was what won her over, as well as his cute looks. Forced to be apart as they both had duties as college students, they were able to create a bond that transcended distance. They developed an unbreakable emotional and spiritual bond that some may term as soulmates. Little did they know that this relationship at the end of college would go on from a couple months, to years, and now almost a decade full of adventures, laughter, growth, and love!