For Kennett Square couple, Lilia and Raúl Ayllón, love started with a mutual dislike for each other, writes Michelle Myers for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Granted, they were both seven at the time, living in their native Pachuquilla, Mexico. But then Raúl saw Lilia playing with her friends when he was 15. 

“She is going to be my wife one day,” he thought. 

In 1982, Raúl moved to Kennett Square to work on a mushroom farm. 

When he returned to Mexico, Lilia and he started dating and by 1987, they were married. After a few months, Raúl’s former boss offered him a job and an option to regulate his U.S. residency papers. However, Lilia had to stay in Mexico. 

Meanwhile, the immigration process proved more complicated than expected, and by 1998, the pair had four children and other than sporadic visits, had been apart for 11 years. 

After a failed illegal immigration attempt, Raúl quit his job and returned to Mexico, only visiting the U.S. long enough to keep his green card status. 

Finally, in 2005, his family was granted permanent residency and could move back to Kennett Square. 

Through their struggles, they learned that “real love is what’s left after the obstacles you have overcome together,” said Raúl. 

Read more about the couple in The Philadelphia Inquirer.