When Heidi Parker and Ed Savitt first met in college, sparks immediately seemed to fly between them. In the blink of an eye, both Ed and Heidi were in love. Before long, they had introduced their families to one another. As their families grew increasingly close, something seemed to linger between them. Why did Ed seem so familiar to Heidi? How did Heidi’s family seem to recognize an aspect of Ed? What deep secret was hiding between the two?

The Heroes of Our Story

Do you remember when you first went to College? Of course, you do. No matter who you were or what you were studying, going to University for the first time was an exciting experience. After all, you were setting out on the journey to becoming an adult. Along the way, you would get to meet all sorts of interesting and exciting people.

For Heidi, graduating from high school meant moving far away from her hometown. She would be heading to Newcastle University, more than 130 miles from where she had grown up. While still relatively close to home, the journey was definitely a big one. For Ed, well, we’ll get to him later.

Preparing for College

As Heidi Parker began her journey to Newcastle University, Ed would be embarking on his own. At this point in time, Ed and Heidi had nothing to do with one another. They were merely two young people destined to cross paths at the same college. What could be so unusual about that?

With all of that being said, if this were a regular story then we would not be talking about it. Instead, this story is anything but traditional. The mystery looming at the core of their relationship would send shockwaves through their lives, spreading to both sides of their respective families.

Enjoying School the American Way

While Newcastle University was renown for being one of the top schools in England, Heidi wasn’t ready to conform to expectations. Instead of settling into the college dorm life, she wanted to retain some semblance of independence. In order to accomplish this, Heidi decided to live off-campus. Why does this matter? Well, you’ll soon find out!

After Heidi moved into her first shared apartment, she came to realize that this wasn’t the ideal fit for her. Instead, Heidi wanted to live on her own. So, after doing some research, Heidi found her way to a cute studio apartment right by the University.

Finding Her Home Away From Home

After weeks of researching different studio apartments, Heidi finally settled on an option that would work for her. The studio apartment was walking distance from school yet far enough away that she could feel secure and independent. When her shared apartment lease ran up, Heidi moved across town and didn’t even look back.

After Heidi departed from her first shared apartment, she thought that was the end of the discussion. Now, she could focus on her education while living in relative comfort. What could go wrong? What could change now? Little did she know, her entire life was about to be shaken to its core by a friendly stranger.

The First Facebook Message

Like every other student in college, Heidi had her on Facebook account. Also, like every other student in college, Heidi let most of her information open to the public. On a regular day, most students check their Facebook countless amounts of times. 

While Facebook has gained a slightly sinister reputation, the social media application still serves as a great place to stay in touch with friends from campus. Facebook is also a great way to meet people. This is where Ed and the first Facebook message come into play. One day while relaxing at home, Heidi would get sent a sudden message that changed her life.

Ed Breaks Down the First Barrier

When you get a Facebook message from a stranger, what do you do? If you are like most people, you probably ignore it. If you are like Heidi, curiosity will probably get the best of you. 

As it turns out, Ed had reached out to Heidi in order to learn how to use her old appliances. Ed had taken over her room in the old apartment that she had leased. After doing a little digging, Ed found out who had lived there before him. He needed help learning how to use the fickle and semi-broken washing machine. While Heidi would have been right to be skeptical, she would actually be the one with an ulterior motive!

All Because of a Washing Machine

Despite how easy it is to look up how to use a washing machine, Heidi offered to show him the instructions in person. Heidi would later admit that she suggested the meeting because Ed “was hot”. We’ll get more into this later. For now, you just need to know that Heidi and Ed would meet up to talk about the errant dishwasher and washing machine.

Once Heidi arrived at her old place, she quickly showed Ed how to work the appliance. During the meeting, Heidi would admit to herself that Ed lived up to her expectations. He was just as attractive and kind in person as he had been on Facebook.

Sparks Begin to Fly

Of course, by now, you will realize that Heidi had agreed to meet up with Ed because she had found him attractive. While Ed hadn’t planned on making a move, Heidi had all but encouraged it. As Heidi was leaving his apartment, Ed would take a shot. He asked if she would agree to go on a date with him. Ed held his breath while he waited for a response.

Thankfully, Ed had read Heidi’s mood correctly. Heidi was grinning and agreeing to a lunch date before she even realized it. The visit had gone better than expected for both parties! Not only did Ed know how to work his appliances, but he had also gotten a date out of the situation!

Going on a First Date

In order to enjoy their first date, Ed and Heidi agreed to keep it casual. They went to a cafe right around the corner for some coffee and a snack. During the date, Heidi had to stop herself from being too familiar. Later on, Heidi would say, “All I can remember thinking is, wow, he is hot.” 

While Ed and Heidi didn’t confess their feelings on the first date, it was hard to ignore how sparks were flying between them. It was pretty clear that they had a meaningful connection that went far beyond their first impressions of one another.

The Evolution of Young Love

As we stated before, going to college can be an invigorating experience. When you are in college, you get to meet new friends and potential romantic partners. For Ed and Heidi, they had accomplished both of those tasks after a single lunch date.

Before long, Ed and Heidi were all-but-official. They were spending a significant amount of time with one another even while balancing their social lives and work at school. Oh, yeah, did we mention that Ed ALSO attended Newcastle University? As they continued to date, their bond grew stronger. Pretty soon, it was clear that this was more than just a college fling.

Putting Everything on Hold

While Heidi and Ed were both head-over-heels in love with one another, they still had big plans for their future. They didn’t want to rush their relationship and knowing what was ahead of them, they decided to scale back their appreciation of one another.

Both Ed and Heidi would move to London in order to pursue internships related to their careers. Heidi would work at a busy PR firm while Ed began down the path toward opening his own coffee shop. While they stayed close, they would also begin to carve out their own lives independent of one another. What could possibly come next?

Moving to London

After living in London for a while, the two realized that they cared about each other far more than they had let on. This was clearly more than a fling and soon they would take their relationship to the next level. While Ed and Heidi were only fresh out of college, they knew that this relationship was for real.

In order to take the next step, Ed and Heidi would agree to move in together. Making such a monumental move would mean that they’d have to get their families involved. This would be a tough task but it was necessary if their relationship was to move forward.

Introducing the Families

With a deep breath and some encouraging words for one another, Heid and Ed made the phonecall. With nerves thrumming throughout their body, they made the plans to have their families meet over a cup of coffee. The big challenge ahead was making sure that their respective mothers got along.

When the two families arrived for lunch, everything seemed to start off in the best ways possible. Heidi’s mother, Kay, and Ed’s mother, Fiona, would behave like fast friends. As they got closer to one another, they began sharing stories. This is where OUR story takes the next step. This is where our mystery begins to bloom in full.

Everything Seems Alright, At First

As the lunch continued and moved beyond the confines of the restaurant, the two mothers couldn’t help but feel something nagging at the back of their minds. Why did everyone seem so familiar? Why did Kay seem to recognize Ed? Why did Fiona seem to recognize Kay? What was going on here?

If you’ve ever forgotten why you went into a room, you can imagine their frustration. There was something lurking in the room, the undercurrent of an idea, and both sides of the family couldn’t place it. While Ed and Heidi were seemingly oblivious to this mystery, Fiona and Kay began to talk amongst themselves.

A Mystery Begins to Manifest

For one thing, both Kay and Fiona realized that their children had plenty of similarities. They both behaved in a similar way and they both had similar hobbies. While this could just be the good fortune of a fitting relationship, there seemed to be something more to their compatibility.

Kay began to listen to her gut instincts. There was something going on here, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. While Kay didn’t want to ruin the chemistry between the young lovers, she couldn’t live with this mystery sitting at the back of her mind. She had to begin digging for more information, but where?

Don’t I Know You From Somewhere

While the two families grew closer with relative ease, there was something between them that could not be ignored. Kay and Fiona began to talk to one another outside of the shared dates with their children. Pretty soon, Fiona and Kay were truly growing into fast friends. Their early chemistry hadn’t been a fluke, either. Maybe there was something to the compatibility between these two families. Maybe there was something more altogether.

In any event, as Kay and Fiona began to research the mystery that plagued them, Ed and Heidi began to make plans of their own. Before long, rumbles about an engagement were starting to grow louder!

Pushing on With the Wedding

Wouldn’t you know it, Fiona and Kay could read the tea leaves. At a surprising yet unsurprising announcement, Ed and Heidi revealed that they were engaged and planning on getting married. While the two young lovers were only a few years into their relationship, it was already clear that they had something special going on.

Both Kay and Fiona were floored by the announcement, but they were quick to embrace the idea. They could see the pure love between their two children and, wouldn’t you know it, they liked each other, too. While Kay and Fiona applauded the engagement,  they continued their family research.

Laying Out Their Plans Together

By the end of their engagement-announcement dinner, Ed and Heidi had made some of their plans startlingly clear. Not only were Ed and Heidi engaged, but they were also planning to officially tie the knot by the end of the year. Despite having just met one another, Fiona and Kay couldn’t help but be swept up into the enthusiasm of the event.

Soon, Heidi and Ed were detailing plans for the wedding, where they would live, and what their shared goals were for the future. We’ll remind you, this entire relationship was predicated by a shared broken washing machine. Love is wild, isn’t it?

Some Questions Still Linger

As Ed and Heidi dove into their wedding plans, Kay decided to dig deeper into her worn work. While Kay helped prepare for the wedding when she could, she was more focused on her own investigative work. It wasn’t that Kay disliked Ed or Fiona, it was more that she couldn’t let go of that nagging feeling between her ears.

In order to research their potential links, Kay threw a hail-mary before pulling to the attic in her home. Maybe she would find answers there. If not, at least she would have a chance to look down memory lane as her eldest daughter prepared for marriage.

Making Preparations for the Wedding

As Kay made the decision to head up to the attic, Heidi had a special request of her. She had asked her mom if they could use the attic to store some of the wedding supplies that they would be using for the party. Since Kay was planning on going through the attic anyway, she agreed to the idea.

After dropping off a load of wedding supplies, Kay decided to open up a few old photo albums from Heidi’s childhood. Sitting next to those wedding supplies while looking at her daughter as a child was an experience that Kay would never forget.

Fateful Trip to the Attic

Of course, there were many things about this trip to the attic that Kay would never forget. For starters, Kay had found one of the oldest photo albums in their family’s history. The photo album detailed many of the vacations that Kay had brought Heidi along on as a child.

Among the different photographs, Kay began to get lost in her own memories. Had her daughter truly grown up so fast? Was she already getting married? Why hadn’t time slowed down for her to enjoy the process even more? As Kay wrestled with her bittersweet feelings, her eyes lingered on a stunning photograph.

Finding Memories From Her Childhood

This is the moment that most of you readers have been waiting for. As Heidi and Ed pushed their heads together to plan their beautiful wedding, Kay sat alone in the attic. She held before her a photo album that contained all of Heidi’s most memorable vacations. This photo album would change everything about the relationship that Heidi and Ed shared.

As Kay looked at the stunning photo with her mouth agape, she realized that she couldn’t keep this a secret. Kay had to tell Heidi and Ed, but first, she had to talk to Fiona. After all, Fiona would know what was best for Ed.

Meet Heidi’s First Boyfriend

The stunning photo that Kay had found was of Heidi and a young blond-haired boy. The photograph was taken during a family vacation to the southern coast of Turkey. Heidi and her family had gone to Turkey in order to enjoy the beautiful beach, the delicious food, and the incredible weather.

In an instant, Kay recalled the entirety of the trip. During the excursion, Heidi had become close friends with a young boy, though Kay could not recall his name. What she did recall was that the two had been inseparable. They played and played together and Kay had the photographs to prove it!

Memories That Last a Lifetime

While far from the only vacation that Kay had brought Heidi on, it was a particularly notable one. As she flipped through the pages of the photo album, Kay came face-to-face with other images of the young blond-haired boy. He looked so familiar that it was driving her crazy. Of course, by now, you probably know who this was.

Kay had stumbled across a photograph of Ed and Heidi, playing as children, while the two had been on separate vacations in Turkey. The image was twenty years old and the two families had not stayed in touch throughout those intervening years. 

Remembering a Little Blond Child

In fact, up until that moment, Kay had completely forgotten about the family from Turkey that they had grown so close to while on vacation. There were easily a dozen pictures of Heidi and Ed playing. There were even photos of Fiona and Kay together!

Not only had Ed and Heidi found one another through a dishwashing machine, but they had also met more than 20 years ago while on separate vacations halfway around the world. While Kay had remembered the vacation in its entirety, she was positive that Ed and Heidi were completely oblivious to their older connection.

Kay Comes to a Startling Conclusion

Kay knew that she couldn’t keep this mystery a secret. What’s more, Kay knew that it would fill her daughter and future son-in-law with joy. The only problem was that Kay didn’t know how to break the news. Remember when we mentioned that Kay wanted to reach out to Fiona for help? Well, this is where that happened.

Kay picked up the phone and decided that she had to break the news. She would get on the horn with Fiona and the two would devise a way to tell their children. This was a magical moment, so they wanted to approach it the right way!

Confirming Her Suspicion With the Family

Kay took a picture of the photographs before texting them to Fiona. She held her breath and waited with the photo album in her lap as she sat in her attic. The room was silent but her heart was pounding. Why was this such a big deal? Was it because the event seemed like it was pulled from a movie?

Kay, fortunately, didn’t need to wait long. In an instant, her phone blew up with texts. Before Kay could answer any of them, Fiona was ringing her directly. Kay picked up the phone only to hear Fiona’s excited voice on the other side, “Oh my goodness. That’s Ed!”

Sharing the Moment With the Family

After having the photograph confirmed by Fiona, Kay knew that it was time to get the family involved. Both mothers were practically shaking with excitement at what was to come. As was a family tradition at this point, Fiona and Kay put together a lunch date with their children at the local cafe.

Kay said of the organized meeting, “I was screaming, it was just unreal.” While Kay was excited, she still wanted to proceed with some caution. After all, there was no telling how the kids would react to the news. Would they also be excited? Or would the revelation somehow diminish their relationship?

Letting Ed and Heidi in on the News

As the entire family sat down at their favorite table together, Ed and Heidi could immediately tell that something was up. After a moment of stunned silence, Kay finally broke the news to both of the children. Kay later revealed that she was so floored that she had to actually go lay down for a minute while she collected her thoughts.

How would you feel if you found out that your fiancee had ‘dated’ you as a child, though neither of you had recalled the event? We’d definitely sat that this added a new dimension to their relationship, to say the least!

A Relationship From the Past

Now with a heading for their previous relationship together, both families dove into their photo albums. If a couple of pictures existed of the children together, surely more of them would appear. Fiona would admit to the Daily Mail, “Loads more photographs came out. None of us had any idea whatsoever that Heidi and Ed had met before university.”

Eventually, the families would end up finding six total photographs of the two families on a semi-shared vacation. While the event was truly stunning, Fiona and Kay expected people to doubt the veracity of their story. After all, Heidi later revealed, “What are the chances?”

Was This Luck or Fate

For Heidi and Ed, the revelation of their previous relationship only served to enhance their current one. Not only were they together as children, but that same love and appreciation had matured and grown between them as they aged.

Heidi had to ask herself, was this fate or destiny or just the swift wind of luck blowing through her life? Heidi would end up revealing to the Daily Mail, “I didn’t believe in fate before finding that out, but there’s no arguing with it. We are clearly destined to be together.”  As any good future-husband would, Ed was effusive in his agreement.

Celebrating Either Way

No matter what side of the fence you fall on when it comes to fate and destiny, Heidi and Ed were primed to celebrate. They knew that they had found love with one another. What’s more, they knew that they were destined to be together, even if they had never met as six-year-olds on a vacation with their family in Turkey.

Obviously, Kay and Fiona made sure that they spread the news about the experience that their children were sharing. The wedding would end up becoming quite the event thanks to the story of their origins with one another. This was truly a Disney-like ending!

Forging a Family Bond for a Lifetime

While Ed and Heidi had grown to be more than just romantic partners, their families had followed a similar path. Ed and Heidi weren’t the only ones who had found one another. As they pored through the photo album, other images of their families would come to light. Even their siblings would play with one another!

The bonding of Ed and Heidi would also serve as a bond between two separate families. Pretty soon, they were one big tangled family filled with love and joy and a mutual appreciation for what had happened between them. Alls well that ends well, right?

Young Love Continues to Grow

Now six years into their relationship, the bond between Ed and Heidi hasn’t even begun to wear off. Four years after their momentous wedding, the young couple continues to live together, grow together, and share their lives together. What’s more, their story has helped to give hope and optimism to countless individuals all over the world.

Do you think that Ed and Heidi were destined to be together? Was this simply a stroke of luck between the two families? What WERE the odds of something like this happening anyway? Love has a crazy habit for finding a way, so we’re sure that this has happened to other folks, too!

Ed and Heidi as Soulmates

We’re going to close down our discussion with a close inspection of the concept of soulmates. While typically reserved for fairy tales and storybooks, the idea of a ‘soul mate’ can be found in just about every culture in the world. The overarching plan that leads you to your loved one, the other half of your soul, can be clear or obscure.

What do you think? Do you have a soul mate? If you do have a soul mate, do you think that they are close to you? Maybe you’ve run into them without knowing it. Maybe, as was the case with Ed and Heidi, all you need to do is reconnect.