For Shannon Pinegar and John Currie, love looks like showing up. For other people, and for each other.

They met during a Sound the Alarm event in Bessemer. Shannon was the lead that day. She expected it might feel awkward. It didn’t.

“All of them were so cool and so helpful,” she said.

After the event, she invited the group to hang out sometime. John was the one who said yes.

John admits he noticed her right away. “If we’re being honest, her hair.” But it did not take long for them to realize they are wired the same way: they care about people, they care about animals, and they both feel pulled to help.

“We both care about trying to do more… help others,” Shannon said.

That shows up in how they take care of each other. When Shannon deployed to support shelter operations in Mississippi, John started the drive to see her, got into a car accident on the way, and still showed up. Shannon told him he did not have to come. His answer was simple: “No, I miss you.”

Ask them what Valentine’s Day looks like and Shannon puts it best: “As long as we’re together, that’ll be the celebration.”

For them, love looks a lot like the work that brought them together in the first place. Showing up for others. Showing up for each other.