These four Philadelphia Eagles fans have spent their lives in an unrequited love story, always longing for the dream to come true.
But they all agree there's something different about this one.
Somehow in a season of big injuries, with an unexpected roster and fans wearing more dogs than Eagles, there's hope Philly will finally get its wish.
Led by a backup quarterback and picked to win by 14 animals across the country, the Eagles on Sunday could do more than earn the city's first Super Bowl. They could end 58 years of heartache.
That's about as long as Daphnia Harris has waited for an Eagles championship.
"I love this team, and I've been waiting for this my whole life," she said.
Harris was born in 1961, a year after the Eagles' 1960 championship win and seven years before the first Super Bowl was played.
"I'm gonna love the team, win or lose, but I really want to see my city get this win," she said. "I don't even know if this is about the Eagles anymore. I think it's really about Philadelphia and the fans."
The 56-year-old fan grew up in the city, watching games with her parents, brothers and uncles, before moving to the Harrisburg area 12 years ago.
This year, she'll be watching from her Lower Swatara home.
"I can't go out," Harris said. "If Philly wins, I'll be a mess. I'll call my dad and that's it. I'll be crying too many tears of joy."
The Eagles at 6:30 p.m. Sunday face the favored New England Patriots, a team with five Super Bowl championships during the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick dynasty.
Philadelphia fans know all about New England's record of winning, including the blistering 24-21 win against Philadelphia in the 2005 Super Bowl, but they're hoping a different history will repeat itself.
The Philadelphia team that won the 1960 championship was the only one to take down Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.
Fans are hoping a skunk, rescued dog, grizzly bear, camel, hippopotamus, stingrays and an elephant are right, and the trophy bearing Lombardi's name will end up in a parade on Broad Street.
"This one feels different," said Trey McElwee, a 27-year-old Eagles fan in Middletown who remembers the loss in 2005. "Now, it feels like it's meant to be."
Like Harris, he won't be waiting for a win in a sports bar or big party. He's forgoing that atmosphere for a friend's house with a small group of Eagles fans.
With the Eagles 38-7 win against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship, McElwee was able to relax a little and enjoy the comfortable lead.
But the 48 hours leading up to the Super Bowl are nerve-wracking.
"I'm definitely nervous because they've never won one," he said. "All week I just wanted Sunday to be here."
McElwee is slightly calmed by the growing chorus of announcers and analysts picking Philadelphia to win.
But one fan's optimism is another's superstition.
Kevin Schreiber is nervous about the number of people picking the Eagles, fearing a jinx.
"There's anxiety like crazy," the 37-year-old York resident said. "Every time another announcer jumps on board, I'm thinking, 'Do not say it.'"
The fear of the jinx also keeps Schreiber from making a real game prediction.
"My prediction is my dog will probably be annoyed with me and my standing, yelling, cheering, crying and occasional weeping," he said.
Schreiber is another local Eagles fan whom will be watching at home instead of a bar or party.
"I want to enjoy the full experience - the commercials, halftime, national anthem...," he said.
Schreiber and his wife are making "fun bets" on the coin toss, first commercial and more, as they do with all Super Bowls.
"This is a little extra special because the Philadelphia Eagles are in it. It's more profound, and that's why I want to be home so I can dedicate my full attention to the game," he said.
It's a game with national attention and statewide support. Babies, preschool students, high school choirs, Pennsylvania lawmakers, families, folk bands, orchestras and more have played the Eagles fight song during the last two weeks. Amazon's Alexa is picking the Eagles to win. And Brett Favre, the Hall of Fame quarterback who played in Green Bay with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, scheduled a visit Saturday in Minnesota to give the Eagles a motivational speech. Facebook posts and cards, written like short love letters to the team, have gone viral.
MORE COVERAGE: Even Amazon Alexa wants the Eagles to win the Super Bowl
All of that has made for an exciting two weeks leading to the Super Bowl, Schreiber said.
"The last two weeks as a Philadelphia fan have been pure bliss," he said.
Coming off the NFC Championship was like running on pure adrenalin, Schreiber said.
He had emotionally prepared himself for a loss against Minnesota and planned to root for Minnesota in the Super Bowl, but he's enjoying the unexpected much better.
"It's been one heck of a season," Schreiber said. "To win would obviously be one heck of a denouement."
Kim Snelbaker has a good feeling about the ending this time.
"This year just feels different," the 38-year-old Newberry Township resident said. "I feel more optimistic this year. There's more excitement this time around. More people are pulling for the Eagles to win this and finally take down the Patriots."
In the 2005 championship run, Facebook had nowhere near the following it does now. That's also true for Instagram, Twitter and other social media sites.
This year, those outlets are enabling fans to follow players' accounts and pages, creating a deeper bond between supporters and the team.
It's also creating a deeper bond among fans. The Super Bowl is one of the last shows that must be watched in real time. It can't be watched on demand or binged Sunday.
Snelbaker will be watching the game at home with her husband and son.
"I don't want any distractions," she said.
She also doesn't want to jinx a storybook season.
Snelbaker isn't talking about what she'll do if the Eagles win, other than acknowledging that she "would not sleep."
"I'm trying not to think too far ahead. I stop myself," she said.
But she is planning a menu: cheesesteaks and adult beverages.
"I have a few bottles of liquor lined up to celebrate or drown my sorrows," Snelbaker said.
She hopes to feel the way she has for the last two weeks after the NFC Championship win.
"It was great. It was amazing. It was exciting that day and a few days after. I'd kinda forget about it and then get excited again," Snelbaker said.
When starting quarterback Carson Wentz went down with an injury, she figured the season was over. And then she was pleasantly surprised as the Eagles marched on and defied odds each week.
Now, she's trying to survive the waiting.
"It feels like it's taking forever for Sunday to get here and there's this constant fear something bad is gonna happen," Snelbaker said. "It's just part of being an Eagles fan."
To be an Eagles fan is to deeply love the team.
Like many love stories, there's an overwhelming feeling that something special is happening here.
And, like many of those same stories, the fear sets in. What if we're wrong? What if it ends? What if our hearts are broken?
To cope, these fans use defense mechanisms and hedge their bets.
"No matter what happens, it's been fun to watch Americans, who wouldn't normally be an Eagles fan, pick up the banner to root for the underdog," Schreiber said.
McElwee will pop champagne if the Eagles win and look to next year if they lose.
"This Eagles team is very young," he said. "I think there's more to come. I think they can make it. But I'm really hoping this is the year."