In late September 2024, not long after Alex Alvarez began dating her boyfriend, Isaac Cohen, he sent her a photo of his morning coffee. It might have looked like an ordinary snapshot — except Cohen rarely drinks coffee, while Alvarez can’t start her day without it.
As she examined the image more closely, Alvarez noticed a small icon on the corner: it was a live photo. Curious, she pressed play.
“I think she’s the one,” Cohen’s voice said softly in the background.
The words stopped her cold. She was at work, phone in hand, staring in disbelief. By then, Alvarez already knew she loved Cohen — and that he cared deeply for her — but hearing that unexpected confession gave her a wave of certainty she didn’t realize she needed.
“Dating in 2024 and 2025 is scary,” she reflects. “Every date feels like a leap of faith, and every milestone is a quiet test: ‘Okay, if this doesn’t work out, I’ll still be okay.’”
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That evening, the couple had plans to meet. Alvarez spent the day debating whether to mention the live photo, knowing it might embarrass him. Finally, after a glass of wine, she decided she couldn’t keep it to herself.
The moment she told him, Cohen’s face drained of color and he started sweating. Alvarez instantly felt guilty — but after a pause, he looked at her and said the words she’d been hoping to hear: he loved her.
“I admire his patience,” she says. “His calmness, how level-headed and kind he is. He keeps me grounded.”
Since that unforgettable live photo, the couple has traveled together, met each other’s families, and moved in together. Recently, they celebrated their one-year anniversary. To mark the milestone, Alvarez shared the video online, hoping to show her followers that real, lasting love still exists.
To her surprise, the clip went viral — amassing more than 10.4 million views and thousands of comments from people and even major brands.
“Some connections were just meant to be,” wrote AT&T’s TikTok account.
“THIS is how you start a love story 🧡,” commented Audible.
“The way we would never get over this 🥺🥹❤,” added Brilliant Earth.
Cohen’s reaction to the viral attention was a mix of surprise and delight.
“I wouldn’t say it’s changed anything, but it’s definitely made us smile,” Alvarez shares. “He’s talked more about how he felt back then — and how happy he is now. Looking back, it’s so sweet that we both knew so early this was something real.”
“I’m just excited for every day we get to spend together,” she adds. “Truthfully, Isaac is everything I asked for. Every day is sweet — just today, he drove to my job to bring me TUMS. He’s the best.”
