A woman who had a crush on her best best friend at school but kept it secret is getting engaged to him 25 years later. The two met as teenagers in 1997 and went everywhere together, but ended up waiting 24 years for their first kiss.
Kate MacNeil and Paul Damon, both 38, were tied at the hip when they met as teenagers in 1997. Despite the schoolgirl, who was 13 at the time, being "mad" about her best pal, she never plucked up the courage to explain how she felt.
The two would talk for hours on the phone every evening, but they eventually lost touch when Paul joined the navy and Kate went away to college. Kate, a teacher, and Paul, a master woodworker, both married but followed each other's lives for years online.
In December 2020, after her marriage broke down, Kate, a mum-of-two, found the courage to reach out to Paul on Facebook. Two weeks later he replied and the pair talked for hours.
He flew out to Kate’s home in Port Charlotte, Florida, in the United States, where they finally revealed how they felt about each other. They shared their first date and kiss, and later decided Paul would move to live with Kate and her children.
The couple are now engaged and plan to get married in July 2023. Kate, originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, said: “I’ve always loved him.
“We would talk every night when we were kids and fall asleep on the phone. But nothing ever happened.
“He turned his head when I tried to kiss him and then he joined the navy. But I never forgot him and kept wanting to know what he was up to.
"I came to a point in my life where I knew I needed to reach out and see if he felt the same way. We had our first kiss when he came to Florida and it was magical – I feel like my life is now complete.”
Paul said: "We have always been able to talk to each other about anything. I felt like an idiot when I freaked out when she tried to kiss me.
"I can't think of a time I didn't think of Kate - in all those years we were apart. No one measured up to her.
"When she reached out it was indescribable. It's amazing."
Kate added: “It took 24 years but I wouldn’t change our journey. It’s a dream come true.”
Paul added: "We're still best friends. We're perfect for each other."
