Fate Loves Twists: I Found the Love of My Life on the Road to the Coast
If anyone had told me in my youth that one day I’d meet my destiny on the roadside, I probably would have just laughed. Now, almost fifty years later, I share this story with a smile to my grandchildren—they don’t believe me at first, then they laugh, and in the end, they ask me to tell it again. Because true love can find us even where we least expect it—like on the highway between London and Brighton, under the scorching summer sun.
I was seventeen back then, having just finished school, and decided I needed a break before starting college. The idea came up to travel with my friends to the seaside town of Brighton, that place everyone dreamed about. As usual, we didn’t have much money, and one of us suggested, “Why not hitchhike?” We paired up to make it easier to catch a ride. I ended up with Lucy—a girl I didn’t know well, as she joined our group at the last minute.
We made it to Oxford easily. But after that… The others went ahead, leaving us standing in the heat. Finally, a truck stopped, but there was only room for one. Lucy jumped in, promising to see me at her grandma’s in Brighton. I stood alone on that blistering road, with the sun burning and a lump in my throat. It seemed everything was ruined, and I was ready to head back to London.
Then an old rattling Mini pulled over beside me. The driver was a young man about twenty, wearing a light shirt and sporting a tan with a slightly shy smile. He mentioned he was headed to his grandfather’s near Brighton. I hesitated but got in, and that moment began the story of my life.
His name was Alex. He’d just returned from military service and was planning to apply to an architecture school in London. As we drove, he told funny stories from the barracks, joked, laughed, and I felt my anxiety dissolve, replaced by a sense of ease and… interest. We talked as if we had known each other forever. He was kind-hearted, genuine, and not at all like the other boys I knew. We reached Brighton, and he offered to take me all the way to the beach. I accepted.
When we said goodbye, he blushed and quietly asked if I would like to meet in London. Of course, I agreed. And that meeting did happen. Then there was another. And then… love. True, quiet, certain love. We married two years later, when he was already studying and I was working. We lived modestly but were happy. We raised two children, and then came the grandchildren…
Just recently, my eldest grandson came home beaming. He said, “Grandma, I’ve fallen in love!” It turned out he was driving on the highway when he saw a girl struggling to start her car. He stopped to help, they had coffee afterward, went to the cinema, and a month later, he introduced her to us. A beautiful, intelligent, bright young woman. Now they’re planning their wedding.
And I think—life takes the most amazing turns. How long the road from London to Brighton has been and how much happiness it has brought me. Don’t be afraid to open yourself to the world—love comes when you least expect it.
