Makayla Stephens and her husband, Nick, are not costume people. So when her in-laws were hosting a Halloween party in 2020, the newly married couple didn’t want to dress up.
But they obliged, digging into their closets to find what they could. It was last-minute, and they didn’t have time to buy costumes.
Mrs. Stephens pulled out a pink long-sleeve shirt and white pants. She drew a pink heart around her eye. Mr. Stephens pulled out his only jersey — No. 87 for the Kansas City Chiefs, belonging to Travis Kelce — and put on eye black.
Mrs. Stephens posted a photograph on Instagram, with the caption “I don’t know any world in which Taylor Swift + Travis Kelce would be in the same room together, but apparently in this one they’re married?”
That Halloween went largely forgotten until three years later, when Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce were, in fact, in the same room — because they were dating.
Mrs. Stephens’s post was shared by a Swift fan account on Twitter, which sent thousands flocking to her Instagram page. Some tagged Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce in comments. Others joked that Mrs. Stephens was a time traveler or that she had manifested the relationship. Many comments referred to Ms. Swift’s song “Invisible String.”
Lipton Iced Tea flew the Stephenses out to a Chiefs game in New York City where, yes, both Ms. Swift and Mr. Kelce were in attendance, Mrs. Stephens said.
On Tuesday, thousands of people rushed back to Mrs. Stephens’s Instagram comments when Mr. Kelce and Ms. Swift, often referred to as Tayvis, sent group texts, the internet and much of the world into a frenzy by announcing their engagement with a simple Instagram post. In the photographs, the pair are surrounded by a floral garden. Mr. Kelce is on one knee. Ms. Swift has her hands around his face.
Mrs. Stephens, a fifth-grade teacher in Oklahoma who has attended several Taylor Swift concerts, returned to her classroom on Tuesday after dropping her students off at lunch.
“I had, like, two missed calls and several texts,” Mrs. Stephens said, adding: “My friend who called me does not call me. So I was like, ‘Somebody has died.’”
She had around 18 texts from people sending her Ms. Swift’s Instagram post. Her husband texted her: “It literally happened.”
Her Instagram started to fill up with comments jokingly accusing her of witchcraft. Others asked if she was a psychic or if she could tell them what lottery ticket to buy.
“I hope your pillow is always cold and your food always tastes divine!” one user commented.
Many comments mentioned that the pair should be invited to the wedding. Mrs. Stephens said she would R.S.V.P. yes.
“I just got my Real ID, so they can do a background check, like, whatever you guys need,” Mrs. Stephens said. “I’m good to attend wherever it is. I’ll sign any NDAs. I’ll do whatever, just let me know.”
She, like many others, shared Ms. Swift’s post to her Instagram story.
“The prophecy is complete,” Mrs. Stephens wrote, nodding to Ms. Swift’s song “The Prophecy,” about finding someone to love. “I can finally rest.”
Hannah Ziegler contributed reporting.
Rylee Kirk reports on breaking news, trending topics and major developing stories for The Times.
The post This Couple Predicted Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship 5 Years Ago appeared first on New York Times.
