I can't help falling in love with you

ESTHER AND MIKE

By Forest Chaput de Saintonge

Treadmills continue to whirl and echo through the halls of the Campus Recreation Center as Esther Westover and Mike Huus finish their afternoon workout.

The couple met in the Rec Center more than a year ago and have been working out together ever since.

But Mike had to ask 11 times before Esther would go on a date with him to Lolo Steakhouse.

Because of their busy schedules —­ Mike as a University of Montana cheerleader and Esther as a nursing student ­­— the couple spent Valentine's Day studying and going to classes.

Instead, they celebrated the holiday over the weekend. Esther set up a surprise scavenger hunt and Mike hid a giant stuffed moose in Esther's car.

Esther's scavenger hunt led Mike all through the Rec Center, from the place where they had Ab Lab together to the spot where he first asked for her phone number. The final clue led Mike outside the building to find Esther holding a card, waiting for him.

forest.chaputdesaintonge@umontana.edu

AZARA AND BOB

By Abigail Redfern

For some people, love happens in a moment — whether it's on the first date or just the exchange of a look.

But for Bob and Azara Llewellyn, it took more than 50 years after their first date to fall in love.

 They met in the halls of Arlee high school, but after one or two dates, Bob did not pursue Azara further.

"Well, she did not do rodeo at the time, and I was really into rodeo, so it just was not going to work out," Bob said.

Or so they thought.

They each went on to marry other people and have successful marriages. They stayed in touch as friends through the decades and the births of the 11 children from their first marriages.

When they both lost their spouses in the same year, they looked to each other for support.

"Bob just started coming around and checking on me, making sure I was alright," Azara said.

Bob's visits became more frequent, and finally, after charming her with huckleberry chocolates, he drummed up the courage to ask her on a date.

He took her to the Missoula County Fair and shortly after their first outing, Bob came over to her house with something for her to try on. It was his mother' s wedding ring.

"I wanted to make us permanent," Bob said.

"She has always wanted a new house, but could not afford it. I wanted to marry her and give that to her," he said.

That was seven years ago.

They now live in the house Bob gave Azara, just as she always wanted.

abigail.redfern@umontana.edu

DUSTIN AND SHAN

By Tim Goessman

Dustin Satterfield and Shan Mason met through a mutual friend just over a year ago, but it took a while for them to connect romantically.

"I was like, ‘Who is she? She's really cute.' Then I pursued her for about six months," Mason said.  

"But it was worth it," Satterfield said.

Satterfield's schedule with school was busy Tuesday, so she and her girlfriend celebrated Valentine's Day Sunday.

The morning began with Mason sneaking out of the bedroom and making heart-shaped pancakes with strawberries on top. She brought them to bed where they ate together and drank milk and apple juice out of wine glasses.

Before a candlelit dinner of ravioli and chocolate cupcakes, Satterfield and Mason went for a walk together with their five-year-old Labrador Kirby and their six-month-old tabby cat Ponce. They held hands while walking down the street as Ponce balanced himself nervously on Satterfield's shoulder.

"Missoula really is an accepting place. It's nice to go out with your girlfriend and not have to worry about being hassled," Mason said.

Mason and Satterfield both volunteer for the University of Montana Lambda Alliance, a group that works to bring gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people together within the campus community.

Mason works with public relations, networking with other organizations, talking with dorm panels and recruiting. Satterfield is a secretary, and it is her job to keep everyone updated on meetings and events.

"It's really cool to have a place for people in the community to go. We let them know there are a lot of people who will accept them for who they are and not judge them," Mason said.

timothy.goessman@umontana.edu