Every Valentine's Day, retired U.S. Marine Esteban Perez stands on a street corner in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo, hoping he will see the woman he loves again.

Perez, 58, has become known to locals as "the soldier of love."

He told Reuters in an interview Tuesday that he met the woman, whom he identified as Cecilia, at a nightclub in 1996 in Nuevo Laredo.

"I have never looked for another girl because I would never see in any other girl what I saw in Cecilia," Perez, who resides in Laredo, Texas, said.

The two of them dated for two months before Cecilia broke it off, Reuters said, citing local media reports. It is not clear why they separated, however Laredo Morning Times reported that they were forced to separate when he had to leave town due to duties tied to his military service.

With no idea where she went or how to contact her, Perez decided to go back to Nuevo Laredo a few years after they separated to find her, local media reported.

And so began a tradition, fueled by hope and undying love, where he would stand each year in his uniform on the corner of Avenida 15 de Septiembre and Reynosa Street, carrying flowers, in case they met again.

The story of “the soldier of love,” as he has become known, has garnered attention, both locally and on social media. But opinions are divided. While some see his search for Cecilia as beautiful and sincere, others find it obsessive and say he should move on.

Perez told Reuters he had remained single over the years, and never got married or had any children, due to his love for Cecilia.

However, Perez told Reuters that this Valentine's Day was the last year he would wait at this corner for her.

"Today is the last time I stand here. Today is the last day," Perez said.