Richmond Love Stories: Wednesday
More great love stories. Hear how this remarried couple first fell in love, how this Capitol Hill couple mix politics with pleasure and how this commuting couple are making it work.
We're profiling our favorite Richmond couples every day of the week for Valentine's Day. Check back tomorrow for more cute Richmond couples.
Read about Monday's couples and Tuesday's couples right here.
Cutest Re-Married Couple
Hillary Grotos, 51, events coordinator
Karl Grotos, 50, business manager for the Attorney General’s office
How did you meet?
Karl: We met at the Southampton Recreation Center.
Hillary: On a blind date.
Karl: Semi-blind date.
Hillary: Mutual friends set us up for a tennis date.
Who won?
Hillary: I have no idea. Because we talked through the whole thing.
Karl: We went to our friends’ house for dinner. They had to call us because we were sitting on the front steps – just talking away. They had to finally come get us for dinner.
Hillary: And then we talked until the sun came up.
How long have you been together:
Hillary: We’ve been married for 14 and a half years.
How many kids do you have?
Hillary: Between us six. Yours, mine and ours. Leah, 26, Kristin, 25, Claire, 23, Falor, 20, Sterling, 19 and Tappe (she’s the ours) is 13.
How did you get from the first date to your wedding?
Karl: We didn’t get to do much dating. Hillary had her three kids all of the time. I had my two half of the time. It was more like we would get together at each other’s houses and bring the kids. That was our dating.
Hillary: We joke that we really never dated.
Karl: The best example was our wedding day. We got married at my parents’ place, outside, in Delaplain, Va., a very pretty setting. Family and close friends. We had all of 24 hours to get our honeymoon in because school started that Monday. It wasn’t until seven years later that we got a couple of days alone together.
Hillary: We called it our delayed honeymoon. We went to the Bahamas.
If you do go out, what’s your favorite romantic Richmond restaurant:
Hillary: We used to go to Bottega Bistro. But now our new favorite place is Wild Ginger. It’s Pan-Asian and sushi. It’s beautiful. We get the Wild Ginger roll, which is fried oyster wrapped in seaweed with a strip of salmon and blue cheese mayo. And the fried sofshell crab with Thai chili dip.
Advice on love:
Karl: Bite your lip, bite your lip, bite your lip. (laughs)
Hillary: Nothing’s perfect. Once you realize that, it all becomes much easier.
What makes your relationship work?
Karl: Patience and commitment.
Hillary: You pick your battles. You don’t sweat the small stuff.
What’s the best thing about your second marriage?
Karl: It’s not your first. (laughs)
Your favorite way to spend a day together:
Karl: I enjoy any activity we do together. We had to paint our first house. We stayed up all night painting.
Hillary: I remember that “jungle green.” We were probably listening to Counting Crows.
Karl: I just enjoyed that. We worked so well together as a team. I enjoy any project we do together.
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Cutest Political Couple
Melanie Reekes, 26, state legislature
Andrew Newby, 27, law clerk
How long have you been together:
Melanie: Two years
How did you meet:
Andrew: We first met in the Senate of Virginia. I was doing an internship for law school and Melanie works for Clerk of the Senate. We were set up by her co-workers... and it actually worked out really well.
Where are you getting married?
Melanie: We haven't set the date or finalized any plans yet but the wedding will be held in my hometown, Brunswick County, Va.
What makes your relationship work:
Melanie: We are both very low-key, low drama. We just recently moved in with each other and we are learning the art of compromise. We use separate bathrooms!
Most romantic Richmond restaurant:
Melanie: We both really like Eurasia in Gayton Crossing.
Andrew: I'm not sure I've ever measured the "romance" of a restaurant. Really, it has to do with the person you're with. The best restaurant in the world isn't romantic with the wrong person, right?
Favorite thing about him/her:
Melanie: His sense of humor. I'm very interested to see how he answered some of these questions!
Andrew: Not only is she cool with me spending all day drinking beer and watching football with my friends, but she'll actually drop me off and pick me up so I don't have to worry about a cab or some other safe ride. That's awesome. There's a lot of trust there.
Your advice on love:
Melanie: Always communicate! If you don't like the way he/she did or said something, don't let it fester because then it becomes something bigger that what it would have been if you had just told them in the beginning.
Andrew: When people think about Beatle's love songs, they always end up playing "All you need is love," especially at weddings and engagement parties. "Let it be" is much more practical relationship advice. Paul McCartney is better anyway.
Your plans for Valentine’s Day:
Andrew: Something romantic and sweet, like whipped cream bikinis. Or maybe just a nice dinner.
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Cutest Commuting Couple 
Jenny Brockwell, 26, director of membership at the Virginia Association of Museums
Jason Powell, 39, dentist
Where do you live?
Jenny: Short Pump, Va.
Jason: Odenton, Md.
Where did you meet?
Jenny: We were both living in Winchester, Va. I was a reporter for the local TV station and I was covering a meeting. When I walked into the room, Jason was sitting at the check-in desk. My first thought was Wow, he’s hot! My second thought was, He’s got to be married or have a girlfriend. He can’t be single.
Jason: I called my friend to find out who she was. I told her that I thought Jenny was pretty and seemed nice. My friend said something like, “She’s as sweet as peanut butter pie.”
Jenny: We emailed for a little bit, went out for dinner and it hit off from there. We’ve been together for two years.
How did you end up in two different cities?
Jenny: Jason and I both lost our jobs in Winchester and decided to look for jobs in the Richmond area. I found one, but his unfortunately didn't work out. He is now living in Odenton, Md. So we see each other on the weekends.
What makes your relationship work?
Jenny: I think we really have a deep respect and appreciation for one another. This past year has been so hard. We had to go through things that most couples wouldn’t have to go through. We had to tackle some really tough issues. I think that has made us a really strong couple.
Favorite thing about him/her:
Jason: Her kindness and sweetness. And how much she loves Disney World and anything related to Disney.
Jenny: I think that he’s such a good person. He has such a good heart. He’s very loyal and really cares about the people close to him.
Biggest challenge of a long-distance relationship:
Jenny: Right now, it’s finding the time to see each other. Thank God for modern technology! We talk on the phone and email throughout the day, so we’re always in touch. But it is hard not to be able to see him. We used to live five miles apart. We’d go out to dinner all the time. Now he’s two and a half hours away.
Favorite Richmond restaurant:
Jason: We have only been out together in Richmond a few times. The long-distance aspect of our relationship is relatively new. My personal favorite is Buz & Ned’s BBQ. We had dinner together at Millie’s Diner on New Year’s Eve and that was fairly romantic.
What is love?
Jason: Mutual caring, respect, admiration and support for each other.
Jenny: Sticking with someone through thick and thin because you love them and want the best for them.
Your advice on love:
Jenny: I think patience is one of the best things you can have in a relationship. Especially now when everyone is under stress because of job losses and the economy. You have to know that this is just a moment in your life and that it’s not always going to be like this. Any struggle you go through as a couple will make you stronger. You need to look to the future and know that things will be brighter.
Check back tomorrow and every day this week for more Richmond love stories.
To read about Monday's love stories, check it out right here. And Tuesday here.
And for more Valentine's Day coverage, including dining specials, gift ideas and more, check out our Valentine's Day Guide.
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