In honor of Valentine's Day, we asked Riverdale students and faculty to write and submit “Little Love Stories”: short, true anecdotes of less than 100 words about love in its many forms. We received the following gems about beloved pets, loss, unbreakable bonds, and the caring of the Riverdale community. These stories are a reminder that, in the words of Willa Cather, “where there is love, there are always miracles.” We gratefully acknowledge the “Tiny Love Stories” feature in The New York Times for the inspiration. Our thanks to the contributors who shared their stories with us. Happy Valentine’s Day, Riverdale!

She ignores her kibble when I’m at school. Only when I return home for dinner does she trot over to her bowl to eat so that we can dine together. She leans against my leg as I practice piano. She then ambles over to her bed and watches me through her long lashes. She is drowsy with sleep by the time I finish. I walk over quietly, lying down to rest my head on top of her small stomach. The moonlight covers us with her blanket as I succumb to dreams, listening to the da dum of her heartbeat. —Victoria Shen

We were neighbors at first. Every day, she’d come down to our hideout, together in my room. We stuck together like glue, us against the world. After eight magical years, it was over, and she moved. New neighbors in downstairs, tears rolled down my cheeks at the sorrow in the air. But FaceTimes every night kept the glue strong and the distance never really mattered, just our bond. Because a few miles can’t break what held us together, the super glue that kept us close. To my other half, and what holds me together, it’s you I love the most. —Alara Bensusan

My whole family and I were recently sick with COVID. One of the things that got me through that difficult, scary week was the love of the Riverdale community. I received numerous emails, calls and messages from students and colleagues wishing us a speedy recovery. Colleagues sent me food so I did not have to cook; they also covered my classes. My students worked independently and I was able to rest and recover. I will be forever grateful that I got through this horrible disease in a more gentle way thanks to the love of the people around me. —Profe Milena Almira

When I was little, I had a cat. Loving him was playing with him: picking him up from his favorite spot on the rug; touching the inside of his ear so that it flicked; using a laser pointer so he could never catch that red dot; dangling a mouse over his head….When I grew older, an allergy developed. He has a new home now. Sometimes I wonder if he sits in his new favorite spot on the rug and remembers me. It’s a funny feeling, knowing that something that used to be there is now gone. —Adi Ang
I rushed out of Duane Reade oblivious to the fact that the wallet around my wrist was unzipped, leaving a trail of cards, including my Riverdale identification, at the corner of 14th Street and 7th Avenue. As I walked up to my apartment, before I had even put my key in the door or realized what had happened, I had an email from a Riverdale alum who had found all of my cards. We arranged to meet, and in less than 30 minutes I was reunited with the contents of my wallet. A Riverdale miracle! —Dr. Elizabeth Pillsbury