Our Story

A few years ago, Jim decided to celebrate his birthday at his favorite karaoke-and-dive-bar hybrid—Renz Social House, formerly known as Pineapple Hill Grill. Not knowing who might actually show up, he invited everyone on his Facebook friends list. It turned out to be a brilliant move. The crowd that gathered was a wonderfully eclectic mix of friends from every chapter of his life—high school, college, and even a few from elementary school. Some were people he hadn’t seen in over thirty years, and reconnecting with them made the night unforgettable.

That same afternoon, Kim had to say goodbye to her beloved dog, Charlie. Freshly divorced and grieving, she wasn’t looking for anything more than a distraction. When her friend Rob texted, “Are you going to Jim’s party?”, she hesitated. The idea of running into old college acquaintances stirred up a lot of mixed emotions. She eventually agreed—mostly to get Rob to stop pestering her—but still sat in the parking lot for ten minutes debating whether to walk in.

Jim was surprised—and genuinely happy—to see Kim. He remembered her from high school, when he was a senior and she was a freshman in the Women’s Ensemble, where he was the teacher’s aide. Later, they both became Citrus Singers at Citrus College, though not at the same time. They shared many of the same friends, but their paths had never quite aligned.

Throughout the night, Jim made a point of talking to everyone who came to celebrate with him. The turnout overwhelmed him in the best way. But no matter how many conversations he bounced between, he kept finding his way back to Kim. They discovered how much they had in common—both navigating major life changes, both reconnecting with old friends, both unexpectedly comfortable in each other’s company.

They exchanged numbers before the night ended. What followed was six or seven months of texting—sometimes several times a day—building a friendship that slowly, naturally grew into something more.

That was almost two years ago. Today, they live together in Ontario with Kim’s two adult children, Gabe and Renee, building a life that neither of them saw coming that night at a dive bar birthday party.