Lynda Cooper, now 45, was devastated when her relationship with childhood sweetheart Drew Blake, now 47, ended when she was 16. But a twist of fate 30 years later proved that true love really does wait…
Standing in the hall of my mum’s flat I waited for the doorbell to ring.
I was only 14 but for weeks Drew Blake, then 16, had been coming round selling pools for Worcester City Football Club.
He was so good looking and I always made sure I cornered him for a chat.
Then one he turned to me and said: “Want to go see ‘Grease’ with me?”
My stomach flipped. “Yes!” I exclaimed
After our date we were inseparable. Just a couple of months later we were snuggling up on my sofa when Drew stared into my eyes and told me he loved me.
“I love you too,” I replied.
I knew I was young but I was sure what I felt was real.
One day we out shopping when drew bought me a silver heart-shaped necklace.
As he clasped it around my neck I knew I never wanted to be without it.
Over the next two years we were never apart for any longer than a couple of hours. But things changed when my mum moved us to Kettering.
For a few months we tried to keep in touch, but eventually our relationship fizzled out.
I was devastated and would cry for hours at a time. I’d take out the necklace and just stare at it, remembering those times I’d had with Drew.
But I knew I had to try and move on. I met a new man, married him and had three beautiful children, but I never felt the way I had done about Drew.
Every year I would secretly make the 20 mile trip to Drew’s mum’s cafe in Worcester and wear my necklace.
I’d sit and chat to Margaret and would hear segments of Drew’s life. She told me he was married and she wished he’d married me instead.
When I’d leave the cafe I’d give Margaret a card with an Alsatian on the front – Drew’s favourite animal.
But then Margaret sold the cafe and with that any contact I could’ve had with Drew ceased.
When my marriage ended after nine years I still dreamt I could be reunited with Drew.
Then one day in December 2009 I logged onto social networking site and typed in Drew’s name and his son Anthony came up.
Nervously I typed : “Sorry to bother you, but is your grandmother’s name Margaret?”
The following day I received a reply saying it was the right person.
Excitement and nerves rushed through me as I explained I had been a friend of Margaret’s but we’d lost touch.
Within a couple of hours Anthony had replied : ” I asked my dad if he knew you before and my nan, also if you would like I can pass on your number?”
Later that day I received a text message saying: “How you doing these days?”
It was the text I’d been dreaming of for nearly 30 years.
Within 45 minutes I heard a familiar voice on the other end of the telephone.
“I always got your cards,” he said to me. “I knew they were from you, but I was a married man.
Then he told me that he and his wife were divorcing.
“I’m divorced with three children,” I stuttered.
“I used to drive past your old house and look up at the window,” confided Drew.” I always thought of you as the one that got away.”
We spoke on the phone for hours and frantically arranged to meet each other two days later on the 3rd of January this year.
Before I left I carefully tucked my necklace I’d cherished for so long in my purse.
I stood on my mum’s drive waiting for Drew.
He leapt out of his car and kissed me passionately. It felt like the old days.
“I can’t believe it’s you,’ I said as I stared at him.
“You haven’t changed one bit,” he whispered in my ear.
We chatted so quickly in that first hour as we made up for lost time.
“Look what I still have,” I said. Taking out my purse I showed him the necklace.
“I can’t believe you still have that,” he replied, grinning widely.
Immediately we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Age had only proven that we couldn’t live without each other.
On January 8th, five days after meeting up after 30 years we decided to move in together in Worcester and later this year when Drew’s divorce is finalised we are going to get married abroad.
It’s like we’ve never been apart, we are just really picking up from where we left off 30 years ago.
I always wished that I’d be reunited with Drew and now I know that true love really does wait.
Image courtesy of Craft*ology
what a beautiful story – so happy for you both
That’s a wonderful story!!
That is a wonderful ending I hope you have a brilliant life together. I have a similar story but mine end with us never able to be together because we cant hurt anyone, but I have loved him for 46 years and will die still loving him
WOW – after being separated for 2 years (married for 21) I have been contacted by my first boyfriend after 30 years. He too separated 2 years ago after 21 years of marriage. He was so easy to talk to and we laughed for hours. Who knows where this will lead 🙂
Hi Anonymous.
I work for a TV programme on ITV and I’m wondering if you managed to meet your first boyfriend after the 30 year gap? Or have you just spoken on the phone?
Best,
Melissa
melissa.power@itv.com
Your story is so beautiful. It makes me have hope for mine. My story began 29 years ago when I was 14. My friends and I went to a teen dance and I met Matt, he was 16 and the most handsome man I ever met. We started dating and we fell in love. We went to different schools so we only saw each other on weekends. I knew that this would happen… I have to make this long story short because I cnt stop the tear from flowing down my cheeks. With that being said, we broke up after a year and a half. I was devastated. After Matt, I sabotaged every relationship that I ever had. We both moved on,got married, had children. I moved out of state, went through divorce, found Matt on Fb, we talked for 2 years just on fb he remarried, now divorced, now 4 years after being fb friends we finally talked on the phone. We tlk everyday and its like no time has passed. He wants to fly me to come see him and I want to more than anything but I’m scared. I know that I still love him and if I go see him then what? I have to go back home and then I’m that little girl again crying everyday because I miss him.
This is so amazing. I bet you prayed a lot for that day to come and fell asleep always thinking about him especially on the darker nights. That is true love and you cant make it leave even if you try. :,( I hope yall have a blessed marriage together you deserve it
My tl and I reunited a few months ago after 20 years. I’d thought about him throughout the years and searched for him all the time. When I saw him for the first time, everything came back. All the emotions, love, nervousness, and the feeling of pure untainted love that I never found again after him in highschool. He is married with kids and I’m divorced with kids. We are taking it day by day but both know that we want to spend forever together. I’m so thankful that we reconnected and will wait forever if that’s what it takes.
Oh my Lord. Azeez, I GOT TERRY BACK. Im so excited, It only took a 3days for him to come home. bless divinity and bless god. i must be dreaming as i never thoughts he would be back to me after all this time. I am so much shock and just cant believe my eyes. thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart. because if not for Lord. Azeez i would have committed suicide!!! the email to contact him is lordazeez1990(at)hotmail(dot)com if you need your ex back
lord. Azeez is the man, I have always believe in african voodoo since the day i was born because when i was in africa i experience many voodoo shrines and how they perform their voodoo. Recently i run across Lord. Azeez on an article where some testify that he helped her bring his ex husband back in just three day. I never thought that through the internet that it will be possible to get a spouse back. So i decide to get my ex boyfriend who was a film maker back after a breakup of 6month. I could not believe my eye that it took just for 4days to get him back and we are together and happy
That is so beautiful to read. I am experiencing the exact same thing The intervening 31 years and 3 marriages between us barely feel like a hiccup. My husband left me last summer. On a whim I googled my first love, sent him a tweet and he responded in less than 5 minutes with his phone number. The first reunion, after hours on the phone, was magical, as is each visit since. He was divorced several years ago. In fact, he is in town today interviewing for a job – he is ready to move to my city. So very happy for you -and for me!