The only way we can tell this story in a version shorter than War & Peace is with a timeline. 

1965: Hanna, age 8, moves to Geneva, New York from Suriname, South America.

1965: Phil, age 8, sees the new girl at the lunch table at West Street School in Geneva.  She's got a great tan!

1967: Now in sixth grade, Hanna notices Phil filing into the auditorium at High Street School with his trombone to play a Christmas concert with the school band.

1971: Attending a party hosted by Phil's older brother, Hanna sees Phil and his friend Mike Hashim in the kitchen, drawing 3-dimensional representations of spheres and cones.  Glances are exchanged.

1972: Friendship has developed to the point where Phil and Hanna can sometimes be seen in Pulteney Park, pounding out obscure rhythms on the garbage cans. 

1972: At a gathering of friends in the woods outside Geneva, a word association game is conducted.  Hanna and Phil get chided for associating with each other's words to the exclusion of the others'. Glances are exchanged.

1973: Phil, Mike and Hanna are playing Ornette Coleman records.  Hanna tries to pretend she likes them. Then the Village Vanguard Sessions by Bill Evans comes on, and she decides she likes jazz after all.  She buys her first jazz record.  Phil doesn't have to buy many, because his dad owns one of the most extensive jazz collections in Geneva.

1973: There is a momentary chance that more than glances will be exchanged.  However, Hanna graduates from high school and goes off to Maine for college.

1974: Phil graduates and heads for Boston.

1981: Jam session in Geneva.  Hanna plays it weekly with Phil's dad.  Phil lives in New York by this time, but is in Geneva for a visit, and sits in.  Nice to see each other again (sigh).

1995: Phil, who has lived in New York for 13 years, and South Florida 6 years, releases his CD New York Toast.  Hanna orders two copies.

1999: Hanna receives a change of address card from Phil, and realizes it's in the singular ("I've moved").  She's been divorced for 9 years, and discovers that Phil is now, too.  Uh oh.

2000: First visit, early January. Phil meets Hanna's dog Reese.  It's love at first sight.  They decide to get married, and record "But Beautiful" in the basement.

2001: A big year.  Phil and Hanna do a lot of travelling, Hanna sits in on several of Phil's gigs, and they record a CD in July.  In November they get married.  Five days later they receive their CDs in the mail and start composing this timeline so you will be charmed and buy one of them.