We got married on our sixth date…
When Heather Carter, 39, met Adam Deathe online, she wasn’t going to let 4,000 miles get in the way…
‘T ap, tap,’ went my fingers, flying across the keyboard. After around nine months of singledom, I’d just signed up to a new dating site. And I couldn’t wait to get my profile out there.
Knowing exactly what to say was tricky, though. How was I supposed to capture my whole personality, my essence, in just a few words?
Completing my page, I wasn’t sure if I’d get many responses. But just 24 hours later, my inbox pinged with a message.
As I read, a grin spread across my face. eharmony, the site I’d joined, had found me a 100 per cent match!
From his pictures alone, I could tell Adam, 42, was a gentleman. Stylish grey hair, kind eyes and a dazzling smile. But there was a catch with my perfect match. He lived on the other side of the world!
I was in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, while Adam was living in Durham, England, where he worked in the city’s business district. Like me, he was single because he was waiting for someone special. The real thing.
Yet somehow, eharmony had thrown us together. Call it a sign, a hunch or fate, I had a feeling I should give him a chance, and see what he had to say. So… ‘I’m Heather,’ I typed back. ‘Great to meet you.’
From there, a spark was lit. And every message we exchanged poured a little more petrol on it. A week after we first matched, we decided to speak on the phone for the first time. ‘So I can hear your voice,’ Adam had suggested.
I was so taken with his British accent. He sounded just like Prince Harry! Like teenagers, we spoke for hours on the phone. So long, in fact, that I ran up a $250 (£188) bill! But he was worth it, because the next day…
‘ Who’s the lucky guy?’ a pal grinned, as I strolled into my office, where I worked as an investment executive. Following her gaze, my jaw dropped. There, on my desk, were 36 white roses. ‘From Adam,’ I gushed.
After that, we spoke on the phone every day. And then, in January 2017, two months after we’d matched, we finally had our first date. But it was no ordinary meeting, because Adam flew more than 4,000 miles to spend the weekend in Atlanta with me!
As the big day neared, my stomach swirled; my head ricocheted with questions. We had such chemistry over
the phone. What if it didn’t translate in real life? After all, we were basically strangers.
The moment I clapped eyes on him at the airport, though, all my nerves melted away. He looked just like his pictures and, though I’d been camera shy and didn’t send him many of me, he seemed happy to see me, too. In fact, he was grinning from ear to ear. It was like we’d known each other for years.
We’d decided he wouldn’t stay with me, as that could be too personal and potentially create pressure we didn’t need. Still, we spent the weekend exploring the city, laughing together, getting to know one another. Even ring shopping! ‘That one’s beautiful,’ I gasped, clutching Adam’s hand, as I pointed to a gorgeous diamond number. ‘Maybe one day,’ he grinned, a glint in his eye. Call it whirlwind, but when you know, you know. And by the time he boarded his flight home, I knew. Having fallen so hard for each other, the distance was difficult when Adam went back to the UK. But little did I know he was cooking up a plan… Turned out, he’d secretly ordered the ring I’d pointed out when he got home. For a few weeks, he waited for his moment. Then, in March 2017, just four months after we’d first matched, and two after we’d met, we were joking about our relationship over the phone.
‘ You tell me you love me, but where’s the ring to prove it?’ I laughed.
‘ Well… I have one,’ he said, sheepishly. ‘Are you serious?’ I squealed. ‘I got it after our first date,’ he said.
So that was it. There was no down-on-one-knee, no big ta-da. But to me, Adam’s proposal couldn’t have been more ideal.
As our thoughts turned to the big day, we decided to start planning a holiday to bring our families – my daughter, Sophie, 19, and Adam’s boys, Louis, 16, and Toby, 12 – all from previous relationships, together.
‘How does Greece sound to you?’ I suggested. ‘Fantastic!’ replied Adam. ‘ You know, with all of us together, we could get married… ’ I began, not sure how he’d react. But Adam didn’t need any convincing.
‘That’s a great idea,’ he said. ‘ We’ll all be together – it’s perfect.’
So, in August 2017, we flew to Cephalonia. The kids got along famously, cracking jokes and swapping stories.
Then, under the beautiful blue Grecian sky, Adam and I swapped something of our own – our vows. Standing in front of the children, we promised to love one another for better or worse.
Now, we’re husband and wife, and we figured that, as Sophie is older and has left home anyway, it’d be easier for me to join Adam in the UK. She’ll be studying in London this summer, so we’ll be reunited then. So I sold my house, packed up my life and sent all my possessions – including my dogs, Charlie and Cozy – across the pond. I had to wait until my visa was approved, but now I’m in the UK!
When I look back, I can’t believe how much my life has changed in just nine months. People say our story is unconventional, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.’
Adam says,
‘I knew from the moment I saw Heather that I wanted to marry her. She makes me feel comfortable. I think I’ve met my best friend. I can’t imagine a world without her!’
‘Call it a whirlwind, but when you know, you know. By the time he boarded his flight, I knew’