A couple who both have Down's syndrome have explained how they were able to go from friends to loving partners despite the Covid lockdown getting in the way.
Emily and Luke first met in August 2020 when they became friends while the country remained in lockdown, YorkshireLive reports. They spoke regularly via text and FaceTime before becoming friends on Facebook.
There was an instant spark between the duo and this eventually led to Luke asking Emily on Christmas Eve if she would be his girlfriend. She said yes.
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Emily said: "We started to chat on text and we've been talking on FaceTime. And we've been friends on Facebook. On Christmas Eve, Luke asked me if I could be his girlfriend and I said yes, definitely sweetheart.
"I feel so happy. I am so attracted to him and he is so handsome."
However, due to lockdown restrictions, the couple could not meet face-to-face until Valentine's Day in 2021. On that day, they exchanged gifts during a socially distanced meeting with a picture from the day showing Emily with a massive smile on her face while she gets a peck on the cheek from Luke.
Then, on her birthday, Luke ventured over to Emily's house in Yorkshire to give her some more gifts, making her feel "so special". Emily said Luke is a "perfect boyfriend", adding: "I am so lucky to have a lovely, kind and big softie boyfriend like him."
When the time came for their first date, the couple knew where they wanted to go. They picked KFC as the venue as Emily loves the food there.
Luke, from Rotherham, said he felt nervous when he first met his love, but was also happy and excited. He describes his girlfriend as "beautiful, happy, funny, understanding and really caring".
