Valentines Competition: Meet Rene Hickley and partner

IOL is offering one lucky couple the opportunity to win a dinner and overnight stay at The President Hotel. Seven couples have been shortlisted for the prize. 

Winners will be announced publicly on Friday. IOL is calling upon its loyal readers to help it choose the most deserving couple for this competition. This is their story in their own words.

Couple 4: Rene Hickley and partner

I met my husband by chance I was 18 years old visiting a friend. He walked pass me and intentionally touched my hand. I was so shocked cause I never knew who he was. He expected a reaction from me, but I was too shy, and he was the cutest guy ever.

I didn't mind the hand touch at all...we dated for 5 years ...In 1999 at the age of 25 we decided to get married. We did life together through tough battles with family and lots of arguments, but we persevered and that just cemented our foundation much stronger.

Today we have their respect of our families, and we taught them a valuable lesson. Once you decide to marry you leave your 1 family to work and build your own little family without interference. Today we laugh about it, and we love the song from Ed Sheeran."Thinking out Loud" Cause somewhere in those lyrics it highlights how we met.

"And darling I will be loving you till we're 70. And baby my heart would still fall as hard at 23...And I'm thinking about how People fall in love in mysterious ways. MAYBE JUST THE TOUCH OF A HAND. OH, me I fall in love with you every single day. And I just want to tell you I am "

So that's how it all went down...and needless to sat. He still touches my hand, but my reaction is always..."you still have that effect on me baby" lol.