사회

‘Sparks Flew’ When Two Crushes Reunited After Three Decades

It’s “fun” to have sleepovers at each other’s places, they said. The two hit a rough... Magarelli was diagnosed with colon cancer, and as he battled it without Ms. Maresca, he said, he...

NYTIMES 입력 2026.04.24 13:00 0

‘Sparks Flew’ When Two Crushes Reunited After Three Decades

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

Supported by

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

Mini-Vows

‘Sparks Flew’ When Two Crushes Reunited After Three Decades

Elizabeth Maresca and Nicholas Magarelli liked each other in high school, but they never dated. They reconnected in 2017. Both were divorced. Neither was looking for love.

Listen

· 6:50 min

Share full article

Credit...

Jaclyn Joan Kullberg-Cummins

Shivani Vora

April 24, 2026,

12:00 a.m. ET

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda.

Add The New York Times on Google

Agrega The New York Times en Google

Elizabeth Maresca and Nicholas James Magarelli Sr. were each other’s high school crushes during their senior year at Fair Lawn High School in New Jersey in 1988, though they never dated.

“Nick looked like a young Bon Jovi with cool, ’80s long hair, spandex and fringe,” Ms. Maresca said.

“Liz was the cool, tough girl, and I definitely crushed her but didn’t have the courage to act on my feelings,” Mr. Magarelli said.

After graduation, the two lost touch and didn’t reconnect until January 2017, when both were cast in a production of “All Shook Up” at St. Anne Stages, a theater group in Fair Lawn, N.J. Ms. Maresca played Sylvia, and Mr. Magarelli appeared as Sheriff Earl. At their first rehearsal at the Fair Lawn Community Center, they locked eyes and instantly recognized each other. “Sparks flew,” they both said.

By then, each was divorced, had children and was not looking for love.

After her divorce, Ms. Maresca had moved back to Fair Lawn from Corona, Calif., where she had settled with her former husband. At the time of her encounter with Mr. Magarelli, she was renting an apartment in town and searching for a job.

Mr. Magarelli had returned to Fair Lawn after serving in the Air Force in Albuquerque, where he and his former wife had raised their children. Divorced for four years, he was living in an apartment four blocks from Ms. Maresca’s and working as the chief of staff for the Borough of Fair Lawn.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and

log into

your Times account, or

for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?

Want all of The Times?