A mitten. A white knit mitten.

Found on the ice at an Omaha rink, the mitten pulled a pair of teenagers together on a winter afternoon in 1978.

This month they celebrated their 29th anniversary, and they still talk about the mitten.

Kevin Laughlin was 16 that December. He worked as a guard at the Benson ice rink, putting the brakes on speedy skaters and helping to pull up people who tumbled.

Paige Kattar was a brown-eyed 15-year-old who was dropped off at the rink that Saturday with a friend.

The rink was a popular teen hangout, and Paige and her friend spent hours getting ready.

Paige feathered her brown hair on the side and curled it up in the back. She wore new hoop earrings and a pair of white mittens, an early Christmas gift from her parents.

After skating awhile, Paige took a break and discovered a mitten was missing.

Kevin, an athlete who played second base for Omaha Northwest High School, spotted a white mitten and scooped it up.