Kiev, Ukraine - They met in the park in the winter in Kiev. The teenage girl is a manicurist. The boy gave food. Like the country they have abused, they have bigger dreams. Doctor, engineer.

But first, marriage. Danylo Khudia, 17, told Alyona Zavadska's mother that he plans to propose to her 16-year-old daughter this summer to be surprised on her birthday. They wanted to tie knots when they were 18 years old.

The intensity of their connection confuses parents, but they come.

"We know they are just children, but we can see that they can handle themselves," said Zavadska's mother Oksana.

When Ukraine's war with Russia broke out around, Kudia told Zawazka that he felt calm and peaceful around him. He called her "my baby girl." She called him "my boy."

Khudia's close friend Danylo Bondarchuck recalled his eyes when he first mentioned Alyona. He said: "I have the most beautiful girlfriend."

The couple is inseparable. Zavadska cheered Khudia in basketball and encouraged him in pursuit of his driver's license. She helps him study for exams and comforts him when he mentions being cheated in a money-making scam.

When Zavadska expressed interest in tattoo art, Khudia agreed to be her guinea pig. She designed tattoos with aliens, scorpions, and moon.

Zavadska is also open. She told Cudia that she suffered from eating disorders. He helped her overcome it.

"She doesn't believe she's pretty," her mother said. "He made her believe she was."

In recent weeks, when the United States was in a hurry to engage in peace talks, the couple discovered a few blocks of apartments in Zavadska’s parents. They opened a bank account and were ready to build a life.

But they can never escape the war.

Six months ago, Zavadska's dream of Khudia's house would be destroyed during a missile strike. It was creepy, but she no longer thought it was.

On Thursday night, Zavadska had a horrible feeling, but could not explain why. She hugged Kudia tightly for 10 minutes and told him to update her every hour until he fell asleep.

The air siren was loud at 1 a.m. and she texted him to ask if he was OK. No reply. She waited for an alarm in the nearby basement.

In the morning, Cudia's best friend called. Kudia's house was hit by Russian missiles. His body was found. He died immediately. His parents were also killed. His sister was still alive and pulled out of the rubble.

There are no obvious military targets nearby. Military registration and enlistment offices are nearby, but are usually empty at night. As we all know, secret weapons production facilities and other targets are located all over Kiev, and Russian missiles are rarely accurate.

The attack killed 13 people and brought rare rebukes from U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop shootings, sit down and sign the deal."

On Monday, Zawazka said goodbye.

She knelt in front of Cudia's coffin, trembling in sorrow until the mourner urged her to leave. Her mother supports her slim frame. The loved ones pile the flowers on the closed coffin until they overflow.

"He is the most precious thing I have ever seen," Zawadeska said.

The couple's family met at the funeral for the first time. Khudia's grandmother saw the girl, her fingers pressed against the boy's portrait and knew.

"Are you Ariona? Are you not?" she shouted.

Since he was killed and cried on his feet, Kudia has appeared in Zawazka's dream. "She was scared of it," her mother said.

In the park gazebo where the couple likes to sit together, Zawadeska looks at the photos. In it, the couple is kissing, Zavadska's long hair covers Khudia's face.

Now, she whispered hardly anything above the rustling. She said part of her disappeared. Her mother felt powerless and her daughter could not survive.

"His embrace is so warm," Zawadeska said.

"We're very waiting for the summer. We have a lot of plans."

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Associated Press journalists Alex Babenko, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Evgeniy Maloletka contributed to the report.