Mell, 40, from Bellara Qld, shares her true life story:
As the plane landed with a thud on the runway, my heart fluttered.
What the hell are you doing? I thought.
I’d always been the girl who’d played it safe, but for the first time in my life, I’d decided to follow my heart, rather than my head.
I’d just flown 1000km to visit a man I hadn’t seen in 25 years.
Was I mad, or would this change my life?
Matt and I had gone to primary and high school together on the NSW Central Coast.
He was the naughty kid who was always in detention and I was the goody-two-shoes with my hair in pigtails.
Matt used to tease me if I did something wrong, like miss an easy handball shot.
When he left our school in Year 9, I never really thought about him again.
Then, a couple of years ago, a friend request from Matt popped up on Facebook.
I was in a relationship, but too curious not to flick through his photos.
Holy moly!
That bratty little boy from school had turned into a bit of a spunk!
7-year-old Matt
I learned that he’d become a forklift driver after school and now had a 22-year-old daughter, Allie.
He still had the same cheeky smile.
Over the next few months, we liked a few of each other’s photos, but I didn’t bother messaging him.
Then, I split up with my partner of 13 years.
It rocked me to the core and felt like my world was tumbling down all around me.
Too upset to care who saw it, I posted on Facebook.
Feeling heartbroken.
Almost immediately, a message from Matt pinged into my inbox.
Hope you’re okay, mate?
I responded by thanking him and we ended up having a heart to heart about relationships.
I learned that he’d married young, but it hadn’t worked out for them.
He’d also been with another woman for 17 years, but they’d recently split.
We’d been unhappy for a while, he confessed.
Me, when I was 7-years-old
I was surprised by how mature and thoughtful he’d become – a far cry from the bratty little boy I remembered.
I’m always here if you need to talk, he said
.
Over the next few months, we spoke online nearly every day about family, jobs and what we’d done since school.
I found it incredibly easy to open up to him.
One day, he told me I was beautiful and it sent butterflies whirling in my stomach.
We started chatting on the phone.
At first, it was nerve-racking hearing his voice for the first time in more than two decades.
Our chats became a highlight of my day and I’d even catch myself daydreaming about him at work.
Eventually, he invited me to visit him in Brisbane.
I was scared, but knew I’d always regret it if I didn’t go.
But now as I walked along the tarmac, doubt flooded me.
It’s all very well typing messages onto a computer, but how would we be in person?
And what if he didn’t like the way I looked? I wasn’t the fresh-faced, sparky little girl he used to know.
We started texting.
But my fears quickly evaporated when I walked into the arrivals lounge and saw that familiar smile.
Without a word, Matt wrapped me up in his arms and kissed me passionately.
I knew then that I’d made the right decision.
As he showed me the sights, the conversation flowed.
He even confessed he’d had a crush on me in school!
I was stunned. I remembered he’d kissed my hand in class once, but I hadn’t thought anything of it.
After a blissful few days together, I felt like I was floating on a cloud.
“You’ve got your spark back!” my manager said back at my bar job.
She was right. Matt made me feel giddy!
On the spur of the moment, I quit my job and moved to Brisbane.
Not long after, on New Year’s Eve, Matt and I went down to the beach.
It was one of those perfect summer nights, when the salty sea breeze brushes your face.
We were admiring the sunset when all of a sudden, Matt dropped to one knee.
“Mel, you know you’re the love of my life…” he began. “Would you spend the rest of your life with me?”
Our wedding day
Tears of happiness welled in my eyes.
When we told our old school friend, Deonne, she had a great idea.
“You guys should get married at the school!” she said.
I laughed, but actually it wasn’t such a terrible idea.
Not long after, we were back at the classrooms we hadn’t stepped foot in for 22 years.
This time, instead of my burgundy uniform, I wore an ivory dress.
As we exchanged vows, I had flashbacks to that cheeky little boy chasing me through the playground.
Truth is, he makes me feel like a kid again.
I’m so glad I took a chance on that naughty boy.
