Love's Labor Rewarded, Nearly Two Decades Later

One day in 1990, Tony Senerchia took out a pencil and a sheet of blue, lined paper and wrote a letter to the person he hoped would someday be his wife. Julia Yankowski had broken Tony's heart by moving to Tucson, but he was determined to win her back.

"Dear Julia," he wrote. "People ask what girl do you like? I say a girl who lives in Tosian Araizonia. Do you know I think of you ever night? I am Tony. I realy do like you, in fact I love you. . . . I can't wait till you come back!"

Tony was 9 years old. Julia was 8.

Julia didn't come back, so the next year, for Valentine's Day, Tony wrote again. He pulled out his older brother's typewriter and composed a note. He was a year older, and the tone of his letter reflected a new maturity.

"Dear Julia," he typed. "How ya' doin'. Of course, its TONY. Well, happy Valintines day way down south! We the people had a nice one up here in Washington, D.C."

The chitter-chatter over, Tony got to the point: "If you came up and asked me if I would take you to the dance, of course I would acsept the invitation. . . . Heres a chart, ME+YOU=LOVE=ENGAGEMENT=MARRIAGE=KIDS. So as you can see we fit perfectly together. I know this will sound weird but when we first met we where hugging and kissing each other . . . When we grow up I hope we can get engaged and married what do you think? I think that would be the best moment in my fun filled, adventurous and romantic life. LOVE AND MANY KISSES (YOUR LOVING MOST ADMIERER) TONY A. SENERCHIA."

Is there any love purer than first love, a love untainted by doubt, uncomplicated by experience? The love Tony and Julia had for each other was as dependable as the sunrise.

They'd met when they were babies in Brookland. Tony's aunt lived with Julia's mother, so the toddlers saw each other frequently. When Tony's mom wanted some peace from the six (eventually seven) kids she had, she'd pack a few off to her sister's house. When Julia's mom thought her only child could use some company, she packed her off to Tony's house. The two became inseparable, until Julia moved away.

Tony tried to keep in touch. Julia wrote back one or two times. But eventually the connection frayed, then broke. The memories, however, never went away. Whenever someone mentioned Arizona, Tony thought of a little blond girl named Julia.

He went to Goucher College and studied in Germany for a semester. There, he met a Swiss girl named Sophie. After graduating, he moved to Switzerland to be with her.

Julia majored in political science at the University of Arizona. While Tony was in Europe, she came to Washington to intern on the Hill. She returned to Arizona and got engaged to a guy named Mike.

Things didn't work out for Tony and Sophie. Things didn't work out for Julia and Mike. Two years ago, Julia moved back to Washington to get a teaching degree at George Washington University. A family friend said she should get in touch with that Tony guy, the one from her childhood.