The story is based on true events, even though it’s quite extraordinary!
“I went to St. Mary’s School, what about you?”
“So did I,” replied Anthony, raising an eyebrow at the girl. It seemed like an odd coincidence, but life is full of surprises.
It was remarkable that they even had the same names—Anthony and Antonia—as if there weren’t enough names in the world. But such a fact wouldn’t stop them from being together!
They had met not long ago in a supermarket. It was a silly encounter, but fate seemed to have no better place to bring them together. Anthony was struggling to decide on olives, and Antonia, passing by, simply suggested the best brand. That led to a conversation and the exchange of contact details. One never knows where each meeting might lead, so when he asked her out on a date, she accepted.
Anthony had been married once, experienced domestic life, and dealt with betrayal, while Antonia hadn’t been through that yet, preferring to let life lead her to happiness. Here they were on their fifth date. Anthony, at 35, had managed to gain a bit of a belly and a receding hairline. Thanks to the male side of his family, the men could proudly show their balding heads from the age of thirty. With black hair framing what was left on his head, standing at about 5’11”, he was considered quite handsome by his ex-wife. She still had an affair, but combine his reading habits, humor, and good manners, and you have quite a promising match.
Antonia was a decade younger. A stunning young woman with shoulder-length chestnut hair, a slim figure, and striking brown eyes. Her smile was her calling card, as she often said, and Anthony noticed it. She had a way of putting people at ease. Anthony appreciated her innocence, but Antonia was far from naive. Her eloquence was another card up her sleeve; he was captivated by her voice and wanted more.
“Remember Mrs. Smith?” Anthony ventured down memory lane.
“Yes,” Antonia grinned, “with that funny wig,” she gestured a shape on her head, and they both laughed.
“Anthony Paul?”
“Chekhov?” questioned Antonia.
“No, Hamster.”
“The shop teacher,” she nodded. “He was the boys’ favorite.”
They strolled through the park hand in hand, discussing future plans. Anthony enjoyed hearing Antonia talk about life, dreams, goals, and her love for literature. She wasn’t just a reader; she had written her own books, which were quite popular online.
She was an extraordinary woman: bright, gentle, and determined. Anthony realized that his fear of a second marriage was fading away, replaced by a confidence that not all women were the same.
During one visit to Antonia’s place, they decided to look through some old photo albums.
“You were adorable,” Anthony complimented.
“And now?” Antonia teased him.
“Now you’re a total beauty!”
Antonia cast her eyes down, his flattery warming her heart. She liked him. She didn’t sense the age gap between them because with Anthony, everything felt comfortable and homely. She didn’t need to pretend to be someone better; she could just be herself.
“I can’t believe it!” Anthony was so shocked he couldn’t trust his eyes. In front of him was a photo from his first day at secondary school when he was in year eleven. Or rather, almost the same, taken from a different angle, but there was no mistaking it; in the picture, he stood with an unfamiliar girl. The slightly faded image brought back memories from his past, when he was 17. The headteacher announced that Anthony had the honor of escorting a first-year student. From five graduating classes, only he was chosen: the outstanding student full of promise. Then there was Robbie Green, his eternal rival, but in the end, they chose him. Looking at this forgotten moment, Anthony recalled the day vividly.
It was a lovely, warm day. A crisp white shirt, black trousers with a belt, and shiny polished black shoes. They brought a little girl to him; of course, he didn’t remember her. She was small, slim, and looked a bit scared. She gazed up at him, while he paid her little attention, scanning the crowd for a girl named Jenny Matthews. She was a classmate he had liked for a while, and that day he planned to make his feelings known. She laughed and turned him down, but it was worth the try, which is why he remembered that day so clearly.
And there was the photo: a girl in a white blouse, matching tights, a black skirt, shiny shoes, and two enormous ribbons in her hair sitting on his left shoulder.
“Who is this?” Anthony couldn’t look away from the picture, still puzzled by how it ended up here.
“That’s me,” replied Antonia, not understanding what surprised him so much.
He studied the face of the child, then glanced at the grown woman.
“And that’s me,” he pointed to the 17-year-old boy, a strange smile spreading across his face.
“How is that possible?” Antonia was confused, drawing the album closer.
She examined the teenager closely, recognizing Anthony’s features.
“It can’t be!” she exclaimed, in disbelief as she stared at him. “So that means…”
“It’s fate,” he shrugged, still not quite believing it himself. It was incredible that Anthony had marked that school day as significant. Although Jenny Matthews had rejected him and fate had kept him waiting for so long, it was only now he realized that day he had carried his future wife on his shoulder.
They got married. It was a simple wedding, but a happy one. Just as expected, the bride shed tears, and her husband held her tight, realizing that she was truly the one he was destined to be with. For the second time in his life, Anthony held a bride in his arms, only now they knew each other.
Today, Antonia and Anthony have two boys, aged 14 and 13. She stayed in the literary world, offering readers new romantic stories, as what happened to her couldn’t have been scripted any more perfectly.
