Awesome - Teen Girl's Boyfriend Dumps Her, Then 66 Years Later She Receives Concerning News
Hollywood has a tendency to put the high school sweethearts love story up on a pedestal. In reality, life's a little different, and love is a rocky road, even for couples who were ready for a lifetime together. Frederick Paul and Florence Harvey seemed to be just that couple: from their tender teen years, they were smitten with each other. But after Frederick left town one day, it seemed all hope was lost that they'd ever see each other again.
Young Love
For everyone who'd known the duo in their tiny 21-family village, this came as a shock. Frederick and Florence had been young when they met, but they'd hit it off immediately. She was 13, he was 16, and it all started at their two-room schoolhouse in 1951.
Blossoming Relationship
In such a small school, the teens were bound to run into one another. Frederick liked Florence right away, so he began walking her home from the schoolhouse. With their paths crossed, their feelings grew quickly, and they began spending as much time as they could together.
In The Still Of The Night
They fell deeply in love, and they struck up sweet traditions. "I would flick the porch light on and say goodnight to her and then she would flick the light in her bedroom, about 2,000 feet away," Frederick later remembered. All the signs pointed to a lasting relationship — but change was coming.
Winds Of Change
Two years flew by, and love was in the air again: Frederick's sister was getting married. There was just one catch, though. Her wedding was in Nova Scotia, which was a long way away from Frederick and Florence's Canadian hometown of Wandsworth, Newfoundland. Frederick's father asked him to go walk his sister down the aisle. He'd have to leave town, and temporarily leave Florence.
Come Home Soon
After the wedding, Fred had planned on coming home, but his luck began running out. On the way back, he took a detour to visit his brother in Toronto, but didn't take into account his low budget. Before long, he ran out of money.
An Unexpected Diversion
Not wanting to ask his father for a loan to get home, Fred instead took a job in Toronto. He needed the money, but he didn't expect how he'd get sucked into the city life. He got so used to living there, he kept pushing back plans to return to Wandsworth — where Florence waited, with a broken heart.
Lovelorn And Lonely
Florence waited for an entire year. Summer came again, and she sadly left town to take a teaching course. In a cruel twist of fate, Fred, who hadn't forgotten about her, came back to visit — and got there while she was still away. Thinking she'd truly moved on, Fred, also hurting from heartbreak, decided to reluctantly do the same.
Since I Don't Have You
Meanwhile, Florence found she was skilled at teaching, and soon got a new job as a full-time educator. She also found new love: she met a welder, named Len, and they married in 1960. She still remembered Fred fondly, but now it appeared that their old flame was blown out.
Their Separate Lives
Over the years, Florence and Len started a happy family together. They had five children, ten grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Fred started a family, too, with a woman named Helen in Toronto, where he worked for a school board. But they never forgot about Wandsworth.
A Chance Encounter
In 1997, their hometown held a reunion, called a "Come Home Year" celebration. Both Florence and Fred decided to go, and they brought their now-large families. Fred and Helen, who now also had children and grandchildren by this point, were surprised to meet Florence and Len there.
Separate Ways Again
However, the old sweethearts didn't get to catch up much, only managing time for a quick five-minute conversation. Afterward, they went home with their families, not thinking much of it. Time marched on, and as the golden years passed by for both couples, it was soon time to say goodbye.
Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite
After 57 years of a beautiful marriage, Florence's husband, Len, passed away. The loneliness wasn't something she was used to: she was grateful to still have her family to spend time with, but without her longtime partner, it wasn't the same. She did her best to stay busy, and three years later, this led to an unusual encounter.
A New Chapter
In February 2020, the day after Valentine's Day, Florence went to visit her brother at the senior living center in Marystown that he called home. She was shocked when she got there: as it turned out, Fred's brother was living there as well.
Chances Are
It felt like another mini hometown reunion. Fred's brother was glad to see Florence, and after they happily caught up for a bit, Florence's old flame was brought up in conversation. She couldn't help but be curious about him, and her heart clenched when she learned what had happened in his family.
Lonely Teardrops
Fred's wife Helen had passed away the previous autumn. The upsetting news brought a pain to Florence that she knew all too well — the shared pain of loss. Knowing the two had more than a few things in common, Fred's brother made Florence an offer to reconnect one more time.
Call Me Anytime
Florence hadn't known it, but Fred had thought of her too. He'd given his brother permission to share his phone number with Florence, just in case they ever ran into each other. Fred hoped she'd call, but it had been such a long time, he didn't think she would.
Put Your Head On My Shoulders
"It was after Valentine's and I knew his wife had died...I was lonely, he was lonely, so I thought, 'Well, I'll just call him and offer him my condolences, I guess,'" Florence later said. So, she did. They spoke about dealing with grief, and Florence assured Fred that "it does get a little easier." It didn't take long for them to start talking about the past.
Like No Time Had Passed
The two reminisced about their youth in Wandsworth, and laughed about old memories. It was an unexpected conversation, but two days later, Fred found himself wanting to call her again. "We started talking about our courtship years ago and all the things that we had done together...before you know it, we were on the phone three to four hours at a time," he said.
That's Amore
For five months, Florence and Fred talked on the phone four times a week. Fred was ecstatic just to have Florence back in his life, even if it wasn't in person. But Florence had a clever surprise up her sleeve: she was planning a visit to Ontario, where Fred lived, in July that year.
An Electric Moment
On the night of Fred's birthday, he waited for her to call at ten o'clock, their usual schedule. But the phone didn't ring. Finally, a concerned Fred called her, asking if everything was all right. When she said she wasn't at home, or at her sons' houses, he asked, "You're not in Ontario, are you?" Her answer made him leap out of bed.
Night To Remember
"Yes, I am. I'm 10 minutes away," she said. Fred's heart nearly stopped. He ran out to draw a 'Welcome, Florence' sign on the driveway with chalk. "A few minutes later they drove in...I gave her a kiss on the cheek and held her hand," he said. "I knew right away that she had taken my heart back again." Not even a month later, they'd moved in together...and they were shopping for wedding rings.
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Their families were initially shocked, but for Florence and Fred, there was no point in waiting. "We do everything together...I love every moment," Florence said. Added Fred, "Florence has been like an angel from heaven...Every day, I wake up and say how blessed I am." Nowadays, they're staying strong through Fred's chemotherapy together.
Lost Love No More
Both Florence and Fred are looking forward to happier times ahead, and in the summer of 2021, they're hoping to return to Wandsworth to stay in Fred's brother's cottage. Their happy reunion was a dream one, and at the same time, the newfound sweethearts were looking at a whole other wild connection.
Reunion Paradise
Florence and Fred didn't know Janice and Prentiss in their first round of romance, but they are very familiar now. That's because even greater than the coincidence of rekindling their romance after decades apart was that this couple halfway across the world had an almost identical tale.
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