Frederick Paul and Florence Harvey fell in love when they were only teenagers. However, their young love didn't last as Fredrick left their small town and didn't return as he promised.
Decades later, Florence saw a familiar face at the senior living center she was visiting. From there, everything from her past came rushing back.
Frederick Paul & Florence Harvey
Frederick Paul and Florence Harvey met when they were 16 and 13, respectively. It all started at their two-room schoolhouse back in 1951. The two met and fell for each other hard and fast.
It came as a surprise to the people in their tiny town of Wandsworth, Newfoundland, as the two lovebirds were so young.
They Spent As Much Time Together As Possible
After meeting at the schoolhouse, Fredrick began walking Florence home, enjoying her company and their time together. It didn't take long for both of their feelings to grow.
They began spending as much time together as they possibly could, even saying goodnight to one another in a sweet and innocent way.
It Was All About The Lights
As their feelings grew, they struck up some sweet traditions, including saying goodnight to one another. During an interview with People, Fredrick explained how they said goodnight to one another.
He said, "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."
Fredrick Had To Travel To Nova Scotia
Despite their young ages, everything pointed to Fredrick and Florence going the distance. Sadly, everything changed when Fredrick's sister got married. After two years of being together and speaking of the future, Fredrick got on an airplane to Nova Scotia.
It was a long way from home and from Florence.
All Of His Money Was Gone
Even so, Fredrick promised Florence he'd return for her. He still loved her deeply. After the wedding, he planned on traveling back home to Wandsworth, Newfoundland. But plans changed very quickly when he made a detour to visit his brother in Toronto, Canada.
His budget was very low, and Fredrick soon found himself without any funds to make it back home to Florence.
Fredrick Got A job And Stayed In The City
As a young man, the last thing Fredrick wanted to do was ask his father for money. So, he found work instead. His main priority was getting home to Florence. He'd made her a promise, after all.
The thing Fredrick didn't take into consideration was how much he'd enjoy living in the city.
Florence Waited On Him For A Year
Fredrick began enjoying his time in the city and kept delaying his plans to return to his tiny town of Wandsworth. Sadly, Florence was waiting there, believing that one day he would return.
In fact, Florence wound up waiting for Fredrick to return for an entire year! When the summer came around again, she knew she had to make a change.
A Cruel Twist Of Fate
That summer, Florence decided to enroll in a teaching course. The catch was that the course was not in town. Ironically, right when Florence went out of town, Fredrick came back.
He didn't forget about her and wanted to see Florence. When he realized she wasn't there, Fredrick believed she had moved on with her life and forgotten about him.
A Job And Marriage
Believing Florence had moved on, Fredrick decided he had to do the same. While he moved back to Toronto, Florence found a passion for teaching and was hired as a full-time educator.
Florence also found love in a welder named Len. The two were married in the 1960s and built a beautiful life together.
They Never Forgot One Another
The years passed, and Florence and Len eventually had five children, ten grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren! She wasn't the only one who moved on from her teenage-years flame, though.
Fredrick fell in love and married a woman named Helen in Toronto. Even though Fredrick and Florence made lives of their own, they never forgot about one another.
A Hometown Celebration
As fate would have it, in 1997, their hometown of Wandsworth held a "Come Home Year" celebration. Both Florence and Fredrick decided to bring their large families to celebrate.
However, the two couples didn't expect to run into one another and Fredrick and Helen were surprised to see Florence and Len.
They Talked For A Few Minutes
Being there with their families, the two former lovebirds were unable to catch up for long. They spoke for about five minutes of their lives before returning to their respective families to enjoy the town's celebration.
After returning home, Fredrick nor Florence thought much about their brief interaction at the Come Home Year celebration.
After 57 Years Of Marriage, Len Passed Away
The years rolled on and, eventually, Florence's husband passed away after 57 years of marriage. While she still had her large family, Florence was not used to being without a partner.
She was sad and lonely. So, she thought the best thing for her at the time was to stay busy.
Florence Went To Visit Her Brother In 2020
As it would turn out, being busy led to a surprising meeting with someone Florene hadn't thought of in years. In 2020, Florence decided to visit her brother at his senior living center. It was Valentine's Day, and she wanted to be with someone she loved.
Walking through the door, Florence was shocked to see a familiar face that wasn't her brother's.
Fredrick's Brother Lived At The Senior Center Too
The familiar face was Fredrick's brother, someone she hadn't seen in years. It was a welcomed surprise, and he was more than happy to see Florence and catch up.
It didn't take long for the topic of Fredrick to come up, and Florence couldn't help but be interested in him and his life.
Another Loss And Heartbreak
Florence learned that Fredrick's wife, Helen, had recently passed away. It broke her heart to learn her old flame was experiencing the same feelings of loss. She knew that pain all too well.
It was then that his brother offered her something she didn't dare dream of -- reconnecting one more time.
A Phone Number Changed Everything
Knowing her brother lived at the senior center, Fredrick gave his own brother permission to give Florence his phone number if he ever saw her visiting. It was just after Valentine's Day when Florence went for it!
During an interview with CBC, Florence said, "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.'"
Laughing, Reminiscing, And Daily Phone Calls
It didn't take long for Florence and Fredrick to reconnect. It started with one phone call and them laughing about their youth and living in Wandsworth. Two days later, Fredrick realized he wanted nothing more than to call her again.
During an interview with CBC, he said, "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."
Florence Had A Surprise
After that initial phone call, Florene and Fredrick began to speak on the phone almost every night. They were thrilled to have each other back in their lives, even if they didn't live in the same city.
That being said, Florence had a surprise she couldn't wait to give Fredrick.
She Was On Her Way To Ontario
Fredrick didn't know it, but Florence had made arrangements to visit Ontario that July, the area where he lived, for his birthday. As he did every night, Fredrick waited near the phone. But when Florence didn't call, he began to worry.
They typically spoke at ten at night, and when she didn't call, he decided to call her. That's when Florence told him she wasn't at home.
She Had Won His Heart Back
Fredrick quickly connected the dots, realizing that Florence was in Ontario to surprise him for his birthday. He quickly got out of bed and went to grab sidewalk chalk to write "Welcome, Florence" on his driveway.
"A few minutes later, they drove in... I gave her a kiss on the cheek and held her hand," Fredrick told CBC. "I knew right away that she had taken my heart back again."
Moving In And Shopping For Wedding Rings
It took one month after that surprise for Fredrick and Florence to move in with one another. At the same time, they were shopping for wedding rings. "We do everything together... I love every moment," Florence said to CBC.
Fred told People, "Florence has been like an angel from heaven... Every day, I wake up and say how blessed I am." After years apart, Florence and Fredrick were finally back in each other's arms.
