September 11, 2001, is one of the most unforgettable dates in the history of America.
Four planes flying above the US were hijacked: two were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, another crashed into the Pentagon, and the fourth one crashed into a field.
The attacks took the lives of 2,977 people and injured more than 6,000. Many people have also passed away of 9/11-related respiratory disease and cancer.
It was a day the world will never forget. And every year, people gather to pray for the victims and the loved ones they left behind.
But out of all the heartbreaking stories from 9/11 survivors, one couple has a bittersweet memory to share.
Diane and Nick Marson were complete strangers when they both happened to be on Continental Airlines flight C03. A British native, Nick was leaving for a business trip in Houston while Dianne was returning to Texas after a family holiday in the UK.
Then the unforgettable tragedy struck. Their plane was one of 38 diverted to Newfoundland.
30 hours later, their plane landed on the small Canadian town. Nick and Diane were two of the 6,700 passengers who had to land on the town with a population of 11,000.
Hospitable residents immediately came to help and feed distressed guests, and that’s when Nick and Diane locked eyes while staying at the Society of United Fisherman Lodge 47 in Gambo.
70-year-old Nick told PEOPLE: “Neither of us got on that plane looking for a romantic encounter. That was the last thing on our minds.”
Both single with grown children from past marriages, the two bonded while coping with the tragedy. They took walks when the news from TV became too much to bear.
While at Dover Falls, Nick couldn’t help but take a photo of her with his camera.
“That’s when I knew he was interested in me and not the scenery,” said 78-year-old Diane.
Butterflies flew again at a screeching event where visitors must give a kiss to a fish to become honorary Newfoundlanders. The master of ceremonies first thought the two were married and after being corrected, Nick and Diane were offered to ordain the wedding.
“Why not?” Nick expressed.
Even though Diane insisted she ‘said it in jest,’ that moment led to their first kiss before they went back to the US.
“I was upset,” Diane admitted. “It was raining, we were leaving, and we’d just left these people we’d met.”
When Nick tried to comfort her by kissing her on the forehead, “I figured he missed,” Diane said, “so I grabbed him and gave him a big smooch.”
“That changed the whole relationship right there,” Nick shared.
Diane added: “I thought, it’s now or never. And once we get back, we’ll never see each other again.”
However, her one kiss ‘lit a fire under me,” Nick said. “It’s like, good lord — I thought those days were over.”
Nick and Diane ‘connected outside of Newfoundland’ and they started talking on the phone and emailing each other.
Then Nick popped the question during a call from his vehicle in November, and after a year, he moved to Houston.
Their love story is forever cemented in the documentary You Are Here and Broadway musical Come from Away.
Looking back on the beginnings of their romance, Diane said they have struggled with survivor guilt.
“Why should this wonderful thing happen in the wake of disaster? It didn’t seem right,” Diane expressed, thinking about the victims and their family and friends.
“I think it’s always in the back of my mind, because it didn’t seem right that we should have received this extra dose of happiness,” Nick added. “So many people were suffering.”
Now, the couple sees a lesson in their story. “In the darkest of circumstances, good things can still happen,” Diane expressed. “The world is in turmoil, but don’t shut yourself away.”
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