Grace And Walter - Teenage Lovers For Over 50 Years

Grace and Walter had met in their late teens at a church event. Although they had grown up in the same town, they had never run into each other as young children because they had attended separate Catholic schools.

At the fete, Grace had been selling home-made cakes on one of the stands, and Walter had felt a bit peckish and bought a small one to eat as he wandered around.

He would forever remember that first bite of the chocolate fairy cake, and the young girl who had sold it to him. She'd had the most engaging smile he'd ever seen, and he was captivated.

Walter was desperate to ask her out. However, anxiety made him wait until the last minute, literally, to pluck up the courage. To his surprise, she agreed, and the next afternoon, they went on their first date - to a coffee shop in town.

They had little in common except for their faith, but that was enough, for now.

Walter was the perfect gentleman, a trait Grace both expected and appreciated. It wasn't until their tenth date that he even tried to kiss her, having walked her home after their date. He only meant to kiss her on the cheek, but at the last second, she turned her head so their lips met. It wasn't the most passionate of kisses, but it was a beginning.

After they left school, Walter got a job as an apprentice draftsman, and Grace went to work for a local seamstress.

Every evening, other family commitments permitting, they met up. They didn't splash out on posh meals or even drinks at the pub. They had this understanding that, one day, the two of them would be married, and they wanted to save up as much money as they could as quickly as possible.

Three years later, knowing that they had enough for a deposit on a small terraced house, he proposed to her. Her answer was immediate and emphatic, and it wasn't long before they were married, in the church where they had met.

Everything was rosy, and they were unconscionably happy when their first child was born.

Alas, within the year, the boy died, and they were understandably distraught, in the way that only parents can understand.

But they didn't give up on their dream of having a family, and two years later, their first daughter arrived, soon followed by a second. They weren't wealthy, but they had each other, and other than the mortgage, they were not in debt.

This cozy life they were building together was shattered when he was called up to serve in the RAF during the war.

By then, Grace managed a small newsagent's business, in between being a mother and wife, which was already a full-time job. It may have been hard work, but it kept her mind occupied while her husband was away in North Africa.

On his return, life returned to normal. They kept themselves to themselves and watched as their two daughters grew into capable young women.

It was just the two of them again, so they continued doing what they did best - loving each other.

It wasn't the love of grandiose gestures - it had never been that - but the love that comes from learning everything about each other. They were aware of and embraced each other's likes and dislikes. And their quirks, which might have been annoying, but they never allowed such inconsequentialities to distract them from their long-time goal: to be a life-long partnership.

And so each focused on making their partner happy. They did the household jobs they knew the other hated. They bought small, thoughtful gifts from time to time, not for any particular special event, but "just because". And most of all, they listened to each other.

Even though they'd been married for over 20 years, they never assumed they knew everything there was to know. Snippets of new information occasionally came to light, not because they were secrets deliberately hidden, but because they had never been relevant before.

They'd been told that one day, they would be able to finish each other's sentences, which was something neither of them wanted. That was, in their eyes, the path to taking each other for granted.

Like most married couples, they had arguments from time to time. Or, more accurately, they began them. Where they differed from most people was that they never allowed them to escalate. Rather than say something they might regret, he would go outside to potter about in the garden, regardless of the weather.

And he would know it was safe to go back inside when Grace opened the back door and asked if he wanted a cup of tea.

It was an unusual system, but it worked for them.

Life changed once more, but for the better, when their one and only grandchild was born. They doted on him, spoiling him as often as they could.

It was about that time he retired from his work. Outside of his military service, the only job he'd ever had was as a draftsman. Now though, his apprenticeship days were far behind him. He'd been a partner in his own firm for years.

He didn't want to give it up, but they both wanted to spend as much time with their grandson as possible.

Over the next decade, Grace's health began to deteriorate. At first, nobody knew what was wrong, but it put a severe strain on their relationship. Walter was also beginning to feel his age, but he did everything he could to make his wife comfortable.

It wasn't that she was physically unable to do jobs around the house. It was her mental state. She was confused about day-to-day activities. Most of the time, it was insignificant, maybe even mildly amusing. But occasionally, her actions were dangerous, such as the night she turned on their gas stove without igniting it.

The doctor had finally diagnosed Grace with atherosclerosis, which was what was affecting her brain.

And poor Walter, as much as he loved his wife, was no longer able to cope. She needed constant attention, and while his determination to do what was necessary was as strong as it had ever been, his body was no longer up to the task.

The final straw came when their family threw the two of them a golden wedding party - and Grace had no idea what was going on or why she was there.

With great regret, he arranged for her to be moved to a nursing home. You could see the anguish on his face, and the day he had to leave her there, confused and not knowing where she was, he could not hide his tears.

He saw her once a week - his own health problems precluded more frequent visits. He also developed cataracts, so he could no longer drive and was forced to rely on others to take him there and back.

Ever the gentleman, he hated to be dependent on others, even his own daughters, so his visits to see his beloved Grace became more infrequent. And then his emphysema kicked in, making the effort of going too exhausting for him.

Well before her death, Grace no longer recognized her husband of 50+ years or any of her family.

The end came swiftly, although in some ways, not quickly enough. Walter continued to visit her as often as possible, knowing that it would be heartbreaking for him. To see her, to sit by her side, to hold her hand, and to know none of it registered was more than he could bear. But still he went, in the vain hope that he might see some glimmer of recognition in her eyes.

But that glimmer never came.

When she finally passed away, it was a relief for everybody.

At her funeral, he could barely control himself. It wasn't helped by the Catholic priest who arrived late, screeching to a halt with a set of golf clubs on display in the back seat, and then rushed through the service as fast as he could.

Walter spent his last few months living with one of his daughters and her family, but everybody knew he would not be able to survive for long without his wife.

What they left behind was a demonstration of what true love meant - the ability to stay together no matter what, and to live in harmony through listening and understanding each other's needs. Walter's only dying wish was that he would be with his wife once more, in Heaven.