East Village Love Story: Jimmy and Lexi

As Valentine’s Day approaches, The Local is celebrating East Village couples. We’ve heard the stories of Doug and Bryan, and James and Veronica. Today: meet Jimmy and Lexi.

Christopher Beckwith, a musician who goes by the name Young Jimmy, met Lexi Bella, a friend of a friend, on Facebook two years ago. Ms. Bella, who was then 28, dated mainly older men, but Jimmy, who was 22, broke the trend.

Her conservative parents weren’t happy about the interracial relationship, but when Lexi became unexpectedly pregnant with Jimmy’s child, they decided to move into a one-bed apartment in the East Village together.

When Lexi was seven months pregnant, her father was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It turned out to be benign, but it gave her reason to reconnect with her parents during Thanksgiving last year. It was the first time they realized they would be grandparents soon.

“Life is funny,” Lexi said. “The tumor started to make my father appreciate what he should appreciate, which is love and family.”

Lexi and Jimmy’s relationship has sometimes been a rocky one. Watch The Local’s video to hear more about the challenges they’ve faced. “The bottom line,” says Lexi, “is that at the end of the day, we reassess every day how we are and who we are and we realize we love each other.”