In just three days in Paris, she encountered the love of her life on the Metro.

Andye's three-day stay in Paris began with her stepping onto a Metro train, unaware that it would lead her to a life-changing encounter.

It was September 2016. Andye, originally from Haiti and raised in the US, was 25 years old and completing her Master’s degree in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

She was at that transitional point between finishing her studies and awaiting graduation.

“I made the decision to take a month off to travel before returning to Amsterdam,” Andye shares with Dinogo Travel.

Andye set off on a month-long journey across Italy, Greece, Egypt, and India. On her return trip, she passed through Paris to visit her close friend Seyna, who lived in the city and was keeping some of Andye’s belongings.

“I boarded the Metro to head back to my friend’s place, where I had left my suitcases,” Andye recalls to Dinogo Travel. “That’s when he got on.”

“He” was Steven, a 26-year-old Master’s student from the Central African Republic, studying in Paris while also working part-time at a school. (Andye and Steven have requested that only their first names be shared for privacy reasons.)

When Steven entered the train, the carriage was packed with commuters, and he had to stand, just like many others.

Meanwhile, Andye was seated with her backpack resting on her knee and headphones on. Steven noticed her immediately.

“I thought she was absolutely stunning,” Steven shares with Dinogo Travel.

After a few stops, the train started to empty, and soon enough, Steven found an empty seat across from Andye. He kept stealing glances at her, and it seemed she was looking at him too. Their eyes met again and again.

Amid the sea of commuters, Andye also noticed Steven.

“We just couldn’t stop staring at each other,” she remembers. “He’d turn around to look at me, and I’d quickly look away, and we kept doing this for a solid 15 minutes, just glancing and looking away.”

As the train sped through the tunnels beneath Paris, Steven struggled to think of a polite way to start a conversation with the girl sitting with the backpack. He wanted to talk to her, but he was also mindful of giving her the space she might need.

Meanwhile, Andye found herself quietly daydreaming about the stranger sitting across from her.

She recalls feeling drawn to his 'calming energy.'

“His arms were so strong and well-built. I thought, 'Wow, he looks like someone who could give an amazing hug.'”

As these thoughts raced through Andye’s mind, another more unsettling realization followed.

“I thought, 'What if he’s the one, my future husband, but I’ll never know because I’m about to leave this train without ever speaking to him.'”

“Then, at some point – when our eyes locked and neither of us looked away – I saw his lips move. That’s when I took off one of my headphones.”

The Metro meet-cute.

In French, Steven kindly suggested Andye move her bulky backpack to the empty seat beside her.

Fluent in French, Andye responded that it wasn’t necessary to move the bag – it wasn’t heavy at all.

“For some reason, I just didn’t put my headphones back in, because I was secretly hoping we’d keep talking,” Andye recalls. “And the conversation went on.”

Steven asked Andye if she was a student – he assumed because of her backpack – and she shared that she was. Steven then mentioned that he, too, was pursuing a Master’s degree.

“At some point, I had to get off the train to make a transfer, and he asked if he could join me. I told him, ‘You’re free to do whatever you like.’”

As they both got off the train, Steven offered to help carry her backpack.

“I felt a bit uneasy because I didn’t know him, and I briefly wondered if he might run off with my bag,” says Andye. “But something about him made me feel comfortable enough to let him take it.”

The two of them waited for the next subway station, with Steven holding the backpack. They boarded the next train together and sat side by side.

“We just kept talking,” says Andye. “That’s when we discovered we were both pursuing Master’s degrees in the same field. We were both studying sustainable development, and we started discussing that.”

When the train reached Andye’s stop, Steven got off with her, handed back her backpack, and they exchanged numbers. He then asked if he could hug her goodbye, to which Andye agreed.

“I thought it was kind of strange because in France, people usually greet with cheek kisses, not hugs,” recalls Andye.

“I thought, ‘Wow, what if this guy is a mind reader? Earlier, I was just thinking how great it would be to get a hug from him.’”

After their hug, the two parted ways. Steven checked his phone and realized that his impromptu Metro detour had made him late for work.

Meanwhile, Andye met up with her friend Seyna and immediately told her all about the unexpected encounter on the Metro.

Later that evening, Steven nervously messaged Andye and anxiously waited for her response.

“When she replied, I screamed and rushed to tell my cousin,” says Steven, remembering how he proudly declared that Andye was the woman he was going to marry.

Andye and Steven spent the entire evening texting back and forth, trying to figure out if they could meet again before Andye had to leave for Amsterdam. She had a packed schedule, and initially suggested that it might be easier to meet a few weeks later – after graduation, she planned to return to Paris for a week before heading home to the US.

“Even if it’s just for a brief moment, I really want to see you before you leave,” Steven wrote back.

After much back and forth, they decided on a quick dinner on Andye’s last night. Steven wanted to take her to an upscale restaurant to impress her, but Andye preferred something low-key so she wouldn’t be late, since she was flying out the next day.

They ended up choosing a casual fast-food spot right next to the Metro station where they had first parted ways.

As Andye prepared for their date, Seyna jokingly teased her about the romantic Metro encounter and their upcoming dinner plans.

“She was absolutely thrilled about me going on the date,” Andye chuckles.

When they reunited, both Andye and Steven were filled with excitement.

“I had butterflies in my stomach,” recalls Steven.

“We exchanged the classic French greeting – one kiss on each cheek, ‘la bise,’” Andye remembers, trying to keep her excitement in check, knowing she’d soon be returning to the US.

Once inside the restaurant, the two quickly fell into easy conversation.

“We started chatting and getting to know each other better,” Andye recalls.

Steven was upfront with Andye, telling her he was seeking a meaningful relationship.

“At first, I thought, ‘Wow, this is a bit intense for a first date,’ but I really admired his honesty,” Andye says. “We continued talking, and I felt that same sense of calm being with him.”

Andye’s initial plan to keep the evening brief no longer seemed as important. She suggested they head into the heart of Paris for a drink.

Later, Steven walked Andye back to her friend’s apartment. Outside, they shared a kiss before Steven headed back to his place in the suburbs of Paris.

It was later than Steven had realized, and with the trains no longer running, he ended up walking most of the way home. But he didn't mind; he was too caught up in the excitement and romance of the night.

Meanwhile, Andye eagerly recounted the details of the date to Seyna, sharing how well everything had gone.

“The next day I left for Amsterdam, but we kept texting each other the entire time I was there,” Andye remembers.

Long-distance

Once she graduated, Andye made a quick stop in Paris before heading back to the US. As before, she arranged to meet Steven at the Metro station near Seyna's apartment.

The pair hopped on the train together and wandered along the Champs Élysées, exploring the Trocadéro area before heading toward the Eiffel Tower.

During those precious days, Andye and Steven made the most of their time, often taking the Metro together. One day, as they rode, Steven turned to Andye and confessed that he didn't want her to leave for the US.

“Why?” Andye asked, surprised by his admission.

“Because I love you,” Steven admitted.

“How could you love me? You don’t even know me!” Andye replied, taken aback.

At the end of September, Andye boarded her flight back to the US, with no immediate plans to return to Europe.

“We didn’t set any specific plans to meet again, but we both hoped that someday we’d cross paths again,” Andye recalls.

“We agreed to stay in touch, to keep writing and talking to each other,” Steven said.

Three months later, Andye began working for an international organization in Washington DC. She quickly discovered that the job required frequent business trips, mostly to Guinea. By chance, many of her flights included a layover in Paris.

In March 2017, six months after their first meeting on the Metro, Steven and Andye were reunited at Charles de Gaulle airport during Andye’s 24-hour layover.

During those months apart, they had stayed in touch constantly, but nothing could compare to the feeling of finally seeing each other again in person.

“Wow, this person is real,” Andye remembers thinking to herself.

“We talked a lot, and we hugged even more,” says Steven, recalling their reunion.

Soon enough, they found themselves saying goodbye once more.

Andye’s job required her to travel to West Africa every few months. She decided to make the most of it by adding a Paris layover to each trip.

However, Steven couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt. He didn’t have a visa to visit the US, so he couldn’t return the favor by traveling to see Andye.

“It was becoming more difficult,” he admits. “Since it was always Andye who had to travel, I began to worry that it would only get harder as time went on.”

Steven didn’t voice these concerns to Andye, but she could tell something was off.

I just remember him being distant and inattentive. So I told him, ‘If you’re not invested in this, then let’s end it now. I’m not going to chase you. I love you, but I’m not into one-sided relationships. I want this to be mutual, and since it’s not, I’m stepping away.’

Reunited in Paris

A couple of months went by without any contact between them, though both often thought of each other. Meanwhile, Andye started planning a visit to Paris to catch up with Seyna.

I usually believe that once something is over, it's truly over. But with him, it felt more like a pause than an actual breakup,” Andye shares.

Since I hadn’t heard from him, I asked my friend Seyna to check in on him, just to see if he was okay, and let him know I’d be in France for a week on vacation,” says Andye.

Andye and Steven made plans to meet during her stay in France.

We talked a lot, went out dancing, and gradually got back to how we used to be,” Andye recalls. “I was in Paris for about four or five days, and we spent almost all of it together.”

For Steven, seeing Andye again after months of silence sparked something inside him, reigniting the feelings he had.

At that moment, I thought to myself, 'If I don't make this work, I'll regret it forever,'” he admits.

The two were able to have an honest conversation, with Andye reassuring Steven that she didn’t mind always being the one to travel, as she could easily combine visits with work trips.

They left the conversation with a stronger understanding of each other.

“After that visit, I felt much more confident and comfortable in our relationship, though I do think it took me a little time to fully warm back up,” Andye reflects.

Their relationship hit another bump when Andye was back in DC. When they reunited, Andye made it clear: both of them needed to be fully committed for it to work.

I told him straight up, 'I don’t have time for games. If you're not serious, this isn’t for me. I set clear boundaries, and I said, 'If you're truly committed to this, here's my mom's number. You need to talk to her and prove you’re serious about me.'”

Within a week, Steven sent a heartfelt message to Andye’s mother.

“I tried to share a bit about myself,” Steven says. “I told her I was serious about Andye.”

Steven’s message marked a turning point in their relationship. They began discussing their future together—where they might live and even plans for marriage.

The next time they reunited in France, in November 2017, Andye planned to incorporate a week’s vacation into her layover.

“He picked me up from the airport and brought my favorite chocolate croissants,” Andye recalls. “He knows I’m hooked on them.”

It was during this trip that Steven popped the question.

“When I first met Andye, I felt completely at ease, in harmony with the world,” Steven says. “But when I decided to propose, I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. I wondered what I’d do if she said no, yet I was also excited about the possibility that she would agree to be my wife. I was nervous, my heart racing inside.”

Andye said yes to Steven's proposal.

“I felt that same sense of peace I had when I first met him,” Andye reflects on the moment she agreed to marry him.

The couple kept the engagement secret for a while, first sharing the news with Seyna, Andye’s friend in Paris, and later with Steven’s best friend.

They decided to savor their engagement for a bit longer and not rush into marriage. Continuing their long-distance relationship, Andye spent four months in France with Steven the following summer. Having taken a break from her job, she was reevaluating her career path.

“It was an amazing summer,” says Andye, fondly remembering the time spent with Steven, his family, and friends.

During her time in France, Andye explored the possibility of finding a job in Paris, but she quickly realized it wasn’t as simple as she had hoped.

Previously, Andye and Steven had agreed that moving to France made the most sense since Andye spoke fluent French. However, after struggling to find a job there, they began considering the idea of relocating to the US together instead.

In July 2019, nearly a year later, Steven’s fiancée visa was approved. To celebrate, Andye and Steven took a trip to Haiti, where they were inspired to plan a wedding celebration there.

Relocate to the US

Steven and Andye began their married life in a cozy studio apartment in Washington, DC. On September 16, 2019—marking the third anniversary of their first meeting—they had a small court wedding, with plans for a bigger celebration in Haiti the following year.

Both Andye and Steven were overjoyed to finally be living under the same roof after years apart. They even launched their own business, Afrayiti, where they designed and sold handmade apparel using African fabrics.

Shortly after, the pandemic struck the US. Steven lost his job, and Andye was hospitalized after contracting Covid-19.

Although Andye physically recovered, she continued to face anxiety for some time after her illness.

Andye recalls feeling so overwhelmed by anxiety that she didn’t leave the apartment for three months. "I didn’t even open the door," she says.

Throughout this period, Andye says that Steven was her rock, offering constant support.

"I honestly don’t think I would have made it through the pandemic without him," Andye admits.

For Steven, there was no one else he would have rather spent the lockdown with than Andye.

Although their planned wedding celebration in Haiti was canceled, the couple focused on staying busy by cooking, sewing, and designing together.

As the pandemic subsided, Steven encouraged Andye to step back into the world. She’s thankful for his steady patience throughout this time.

"I was terrified to leave the house, but he gently nudged me to take small steps," Andye recalls.

In the summer of 2021, the couple moved to Florida, drawn by the promise of more space, warm weather, and being closer to the beach. Andye says they both now feel "at peace" in Florida.

A real-life romantic comedy

Currently, Andye and Steven are still based in Florida, looking ahead to future adventures. Since the world opened up, they’ve traveled to Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Costa Rica together.

After their Haiti wedding celebration was canceled, the couple created a new tradition: planning a vacation around their anniversary. Right now, they’re in Mexico celebrating six years since their first meeting on the Metro and three years since their courthouse wedding.

"One thing that’s become a little tradition – and I don’t think he even realizes it – is that whenever we’re traveling, he asks me if he can carry my backpack," says Andye.

Steven has been carrying her bag, "since day one," Andye says with a laugh.

Andye and Steven believe their encounter on the Metro was destined, yet there are still moments when they both reflect in awe at how it all unfolded.

"There are times when I tell him, 'Wow, I’m actually married to a stranger I met on a train in Paris,'" Andye shares.

"What if I had missed the train that day? What would’ve happened?" Steven wonders. "It’s fate that brought us together."

When Steven and Andye share their story with others, many comment that it sounds like something straight out of a romantic comedy.

"Honestly, I feel like I’m living a rom-com with him," Andye says. "Especially as a Black woman, it’s rare to see international love stories featuring Black men or women."

Sometimes, I just stop and think, 'Wow, I’m living my very own romantic comedy.' I don’t need to watch it on screen, because this is my reality.