John Petersen had enough. He lost both his parents, his ex kept his daughter from him, and selling cars had no future. “I gotta get out of here.” He rented a condo in Acapulco, Mexico and left for the sun and relaxation. No worries for 18 days.

He meets Elvira the second day of his vacation, and he finds himself falling in love, true love, for the first time. Before he returns home, he asks: “Would you like me to move to Acapulco to be together?” She agrees and John moves to Mexico. They create an idyllic life together that overshadows any concern they may have about the dangers of the drug-infested, cartel-controlled city of Acapulco in the 1990s. What they didn’t consider, especially after they exchange wedding vows, is how others might feel about their choices. Elvira’s friend and lawyer, Diego, has her Power of Attorney and knows he will lose it if Elvira has a husband. And thus, the nightmare begins.

Diego’s threats turn violent. Elvira is drugged twice, and John is nearly stabbed to death. Overnight, the people he trusted become the people he must hide from, and John finds himself on the run in a city that was supposed to be his paradise. The Mexican federales track him down, seize him, and arrest him—no trial, no chance to prove his innocence, just a cell in a Mexican prison.

Prison life is frightening, especially as the sole Caucasian in the overcrowded facility, but John’s main concern is Elvira, her whereabouts, and her physical and emotional health. He survives his incarceration and is released only to be deported to the United States. Without his wife. Without his assets. With no life to return to.

After more than two decades, John finally tells his story of love and prison in Mexico. Their bond was uncommon and undeniably rare, but could not survive. LIsten to his message of hope and faith, despite losing Elvira and everything else, knowing that no one ever could take away the memories of life with his true love. His forevermore.