Childhood sweethearts tie the knot after finding each other on Facebook 15 years on
‘I never thought it would be possible to get back together,’ says Olivia Mai
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A couple from Georgia in the US who went out as teenagers have married after 15 years apart, having found each other on Facebook.
Olivia and Tam Mai were together when they were 14 and 16, respectively, after meeting at a chemistry club party in school in 1995.
The duo were together for three years until Tam went to study at the University of Georgia, which was five hours away from their hometown of Brunswick.
In 2014, Olivia’s marriage ended, and she felt compelled to reach out to her childhood sweetheart.
She found him on Facebook and the couple quickly started chatting regularly, reigniting their old spark.
Three months later, Tam moved from Atlanta to California to be closer to Olivia, who was working as a private tutor in Florentine, California.
“I thought about him a lot but we both had different lives for 10 years,” she says of their reunion.
“I never thought it would be possible to get back together.
“But as soon as my marriage ended, I reached out to him, and we chatted for ages about everything.
“I asked if he wanted to give us another shot and he didn’t even hesitate when he said yes.
“It was meant to be. We haven’t looked back.”
Olivia added that she was skeptical that Tam, who works as a restaurant manager, would not want to get together again after all these years.
“I thought he wouldn’t want me back,” she said.
“I thought it would be impossible.”
Tam moved in with Olivia in September 2014 and the couple got engaged in April 2015.
In January 2016, they welcomed their first child together.
“We’ve been inseparable ever since,” she said.
“It was meant to be.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments