A man who is 19 years older than his wife was shocked to find out he had actually met her when she was baby. Watch a video about their journey here:
Rich Foetu Tomkinson, 48, met wife Evie Foetu Tomkinson, 29, when she walked into the pub he was working at back in July 2018.
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While neither of them were expecting to hit it off because of their age gap, by October 2018 they couldn’t deny how they felt for one another – moving in together in February 2019, before Rich proposed in September 2019.
When he was introduced to Evie’s mum, Sarah Owen, 53, Rich was surprised to find out they had met before while working on the same street as one another in the 90s - meaning he would have seen Evie as a baby when Sarah pushed her around in a pram.
Rich, a surveyor, said: “It was a bit freaky when I realised I’d met Evie as a baby, but I had no idea at the time.
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“We just laugh about it.
“Age is just a number to us, and you can’t help who you fall in love with.”
The couple tied the knot in July 2022 and are now expecting a baby together, due in January next year.
Rich, from Stafford, Staffordshire, continued: “I’ve been mistaken for Evie’s dad before, but most people can see how well we click. The 19 year age gap doesn't bother us at all.
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“Marrying Evie was the best day of my life and I’m so excited to have a baby with her.”
Evie, a social worker, admitted it was ‘a bit odd’ when they worked out Rich had met her when she was a baby, but added: “He’s so fun and has the biggest heart.
“When we’re together you can’t really tell we’ve got a big age gap - apart from Rich’s grey beard.
“He’s going to be a great father.”
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Rich realised he had fallen for Evie when she was away, telling her how he ‘really missed her’ to find that the feeling was mutual.
“My dad was diagnosed with cancer in October 2018 and passed away at Christmas and Evie stuck by me,” he said.
Rich went on to propose at a charity event he put on in March 2019, getting down on one knee in front of 1,000 people at their local theatre during the screening of a documentary.
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“I didn’t hesitate to say yes,” Evie said.
The couple have always had the support of their respective families, but say they do sometimes get mistaken for father and daughter.
Evie explained: "A woman asked if I was with my dad once.
"But it wasn't malicious and I think she was mortified when I told her it was my boyfriend."
The couple had planned to marry in June 2021 but postponed the occasion due to Covid restrictions – with Evie also suddenly losing her dad, Martyn Locke, 60, the following month, saying she ‘couldn’t bear the thought’ of not having him there to walk her down the aisle.
Rich then suffered another blow when he lost his mum, Nicole Tomkinson, 76, in October 2021.
After a difficult few months, the pair rearranged their wedding to July 2022, opting for an intimate ceremony followed by a party with 200 guests in a friend’s field.
“We had a wedding dance off and so much fun,” Rich said of the ‘best day’.
“Our family and friends have always been supportive, and they can see how happy we are.
“At the beginning I don’t think anyone expected we would last - even us - but now we’re happily married and expecting a little one.”
They found out they were expecting in May 2022 after ‘trying for a few months’.
“I was worried it might be hard to get pregnant because of Rich’s age,” Evie said.
“So, we were so excited when we found out.
“Rich sobbed his eyes out.”
Now the newlyweds are looking forward to travelling in their converted van as a family.
Evie said Rich would be an ‘amazing’ and ‘hands-on’ dad, with her husband adding: "We've already thought about people thinking I'm the grandad rather than the dad at sports days and things like that.
"We'll just laugh it off."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: UK News, Sex and Relationships