The Moth Radio Hour: Can't Help Falling in Love (February 17, 2026)

Overview

This Moth Radio Hour episode, hosted by Sarah Austin Jenness, dives into the unpredictable, transformative force of romantic love—especially the kind found in unlikely places or forged under daunting odds. Through five personal stories told live on Moth stages, listeners hear about love tested by torrential rains, prison walls, family secrets, traumatic injury, and unexpected family history. Each storyteller offers a moving portrait of perseverance, vulnerability, and the profound connections that define us.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. David Greco: Finding "The One" in the Mud ([02:44])

• Setting: Moth StorySLAM, New Orleans. David lives in California and was a visitor that night.
• Story: David recounts inviting a new girlfriend—classy and elegant—on an ideal Jazz Fest trip. But relentless rain, mud, and ruined plans transform the festival into a soggy ordeal.
  • Key Moment: Despite everything, he finds her dancing joyfully in the downpour, undeterred by muck and discomfort—her spirit crystallizes David’s sense that she’s “the one.”
  • Quote:

    “I see her there… just dancing. The rain is pouring down, and she is having the time of her life. And I know at that moment that this is the woman for me.” (06:12)

• Postscript: They’re no longer romantically together but have remained close friends; listeners can see video of the dancing moment at themoth.org.
• Notable Theme: Sometimes the right person is revealed not through perfection, but through shared adversity and spontaneous joy.

2. Eva Santiago: Love Through Prison Walls ([07:56])

• Setting: Moth Mainstage, Los Angeles.
• Story: Eva is initially messaged by Chris’s brother—Chris, incarcerated for decades, remembers her from years before. Slowly, through letters, phone calls, and visits, they fall in love.
  • Key Moments:
    • Falling for Chris’s spirit:

      “We wrote for months. We talked about worldviews, about the systems that oppress our people...” (08:55)

    • Eva’s nerve-wracking first visit to the maximum-security facility:

      “...walking on a tightrope...two heavy steel doors and they bang shut behind us to remind us we’re securely locked in.” (09:53)

    • Their engagement and wedding inside the prison, surrounded by both families:

      “It was bittersweet...this was the man that I love. And he had done 22 years of a 34 year sentence.” (15:48)

  • Eva’s Reflections:

    “He’s not a number. He’s a beautiful man, and he’s my husband.” (19:47) "He has taught me not to wear my heart on my sleeve all the time...to strive to do the best I can, and...to live my life to the fullest." (18:34)

• Audio Highlight:
  • Phone Call Excerpt: Eva and Chris laugh about keeping the spark alive, bantering about who’s right and who keeps the romance going.

    Chris: "I'm 99.99 right most of the time. And when it looks the .01% that I might not be right, there's a good 90% chance that I'm right." (21:19) Eva: "Forever [should honeymoon phase last]!" (22:05)

• Updates: Eight years married, still visiting and advocating for clemency; Chris about to earn his bachelor’s while in prison.
• Theme: Love persists, even flourishes, under harsh circumstances, bolstered by humor, resilience, and mutual support.

3. Paola Ayala: Coming Out via a Found Letter ([25:52])

• Setting: Live from Beacon High School, New York City (Moth Education Program).
• Story: Paola’s mother, in her usual frenzy of cleaning, discovers a letter from Paola’s girlfriend—Paola is mortified, fearful of being outed.
  • Key Moments:
    • The tense dinner where Paola tries to gauge if her mother knows:

      “Her eyes get really big and she was like, ‘Oh my God. You’re pregnant.’ And I was like, well, if you think that's the worst of it, this won't be that bad.” (28:04)

    • Relief: Family already suspected, stepdad shrugs and says, “Well, it’s about time.” (29:13)
    • Paola’s joy in finally being able to speak her truth:

      “It just felt so good to be able to say, I'm gonna go hang out with my girlfriend...I could say that with confidence and she was okay with it. And I walked out of that door that morning and I felt like I could breathe.” (29:44)

• Postscript: Ten years later, Paola is happily engaged, supported by family.
• Theme: The terror and then liberation of coming out; family acceptance can arrive in surprising forms.

4. Dr. Auburn Shafer: Home Found in Hardship ([31:00])

• Setting: Moth StorySLAM, Ann Arbor, MI.
• Story: Auburn’s long-distance marriage is upended when her husband suffers a traumatic brain injury and a coma the very week they finally planned to start their real life together.
  • Key Moments:
    • The sudden transition from anticipation of a home together to vigil over a hospital bed:

      “My first home with my husband was in the ICU...I made my home his body...” (32:21)

    • Intimate, heartbreaking caregiving during the coma; moments of hope as he slowly, partially returns:

      “When he came back into his body. Nobody else could tell, but I could tell.” (35:46)

    • Forging a new concept of home:

      “Home is where anybody's heart is open to mine and where we see each other and hear each other and can trust each other.” (36:51)

• Postscript: Auburn continues to teach, advocate, and practice forgiveness; she and her husband reimagine their lives with humility and hope.
• Theme: Love’s endurance and adaptability, and the reframing of “home” as a state of connection rather than a physical space.

5. Matt Mercier: Family Secrets and the Kitchen Table Altar ([40:24])

• Setting: Moth Mainstage, Brooklyn (pandemic-era show).
• Story: As a child, Mass at home is a treat for Matt and his brother, officiated by their father, with Wonder Bread and Carlo Rossi wine—revealing a hidden history.
  • Key Moments:
    • Discovering that his father was once a priest and his mother a nun:

      “Eight years in seminary… eight years with my own congregation... But when he left for me, his mother ripped up all his baby pictures... [they] called me the Italian hussy from Long Island.” (45:20–46:53) “You were a nun?” — “Yeah, Sister of Mercy.” (47:19)

    • Learning about the ex-clergy community, and how their activism and compassion shaped his upbringing.

      “These people left the church to do the work of the church, sometimes better than the church itself.” (49:01)

    • The enduring legacy of his parents’ choice:

      “That letter is my North Star. It means as much to me, if not more than any Bible verse. My church is that humble kitchen table... those two people who taught me about service and community and above all, about love.” (50:55)

• Theme: Family history, faith, and love redefined—by courageously breaking with tradition and forging a life centered on service and authenticity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On finding the right partner:

  “I was given a gift that for every day since then, I’ve been so thankful.”
  —David Greco (06:44)

• On transformative prison love:

  “He still stands. So… he’s not a number. He’s a beautiful man, and he’s my husband.”
  —Eva Santiago (19:47)

• On familial acceptance:

  “They already knew. I didn’t even have to go through all this trouble...”
  —Paola Ayala (29:23)

• On loss, home, and forgiveness:

  “My church is no longer that large, drafty cathedral… My church is that humble kitchen table... and those two people who taught me about service and community and above all, about love.”
  —Matt Mercier (50:55)

• On enduring affection, separated by prison walls:

  “Babe, I love you.”
  “I love you more.”
  “I love you more than infinity and beyond...”
  —Eva and Christopher Santiago (52:35–52:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:44] – David Greco: Jazz Fest and the Muddy Moment of Realization
• [07:56] – Eva Santiago: Letters Turn to Love Across Prison Bars
• [20:42] – Eva & Christopher: Humor and Resilience in Incarcerated Marriage
• [25:52] – Paola Ayala: Coming Out, Family Surprise
• [31:00] – Dr. Auburn Shafer: Redefining “Home” After Crisis
• [40:24] – Matt Mercier: Mass at Home, Family Unveiled
• [52:35] – Eva & Christopher: “I love you more than infinity...” Farewell Call

Episode Tone

The episode exemplifies The Moth’s classic blend of raw honesty, humor, and wonder, celebrating intimacy in adversity and the transformative power of both romantic and familial love. Each story is tinged with vulnerability, playfulness, and a tender awareness of life’s fragility and possibility.

Conclusion

From muddy festivals to prison visiting rooms, found letters to bedside vigils, and kitchen table altars—this episode shines a light on the many places where love blooms, persists, and transforms. For new listeners and devoted fans alike, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is an hour of storytelling that draws out the radiant, often unexpected beauty of loving and being loved.

For more stories or to tell your own, visit themoth.org.