Couple Marries After 22 Years Apart – Living out “The Notebook” In Real Life
When Graeme Richardson, now 42, proposed to Helen Marshall, now 41, as a teenager, his parents feared they were too young. Now, 22 years later, the couple has finally reconnected for good, getting married with the same ring used at their initial proposal so many years ago.
The two lovebirds first admired each other from across the halls of their high school. For nine months, the teens dated, taking romantic walks, attending school dances, and even sneaking in a kiss or two – all the ingredients for a storybook teen love story. It was only after 9 months that Richardson decided to propose – a proposal that would be stopped by the parents of the young adults. A year later, Richardson was off to college and the couple drifted apart.
Oddly reminiscent of the plot from Nicholas Sparks’ novel The Notebook, Richardson and Marshall’s story did not end there. The two went on to have other long-term relationships and eventually had children of their own. They reunited from afar when their children attended the same school.
When Marshall’s other relationship eventually ended, she took it upon herself to reach out to Richardson to rekindle their love from 20 years prior. It turned out that Richardson too has longed for her for years and got down on one knee to propose once again – with the same ring from 22 years prior nonetheless.
On April 17th, the couple tied the knot. In a quote to the Daily Star, Helen said: “We just feel so content now. We live in the family farm he lived in when we were growing up. We’re the other half of each other. I just feel like I’m home. Like I’m whole. He’s my soul mate, and I’m his.”
Graeme added: “It just feels like the right ending.”
This lucky couple truly achieved the happy ending that so many hope for after reading romance stories. It looks like the Nicholas Sparks’ might not be so far-fetched after all, with this demonstration of true love winning in the end.