I married my childhood sweetheart after 12 years of no contact – I wed another man & split from him in the meantime
CHILDHOOD sweethearts proved that sometimes, young love lasts.
They met at age 14 while on vacation with their respective families, and 12 years later they tied the knot.
Monica Millington, 33, met Tom Millington, 33, when they were on a family vacation in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, as early teens in 2005.
Although Monica and her family had been going to that same resort in Playa Del Carmen every summer, the year 2005 was different — because that’s when she first met Tom in the lobby.
Monica recalled that they bumped into each other and she, thinking he was cute, later approached him at the pool area.
She swam over, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"I was young and looking for a boyfriend for the summer vacation, and there was this really cute guy in the hotel lobby," she said.
"I saw him at the pool, swam up to him, and said it was nice to meet him."
While Monica is American, Tom is British, and she was instantly charmed by his accent.
"I had never heard a British accent before," she said.
The young vacationers hit it off and their romance blossomed during that week-long fling.
"It was a pure vacation romance – where we would kiss and hold hands," Monica said.
On the last day of the trip, they swapped numbers — and they continued to stay in contact after going their separate ways.
Still, they ended up at different colleges — halfway across the world from each other — and started dating other people.
"Facebook became a thing the following year after the trip and we were able to stay in touch, but life goes on," Monica said.
"I married my college boyfriend, and we did the traditional thing — where you go to school, get married, and buy a house.”
It was like a first date on steroids.
Monica Millington
Though she said "I do" in June 2014, she divorced two years later.
"The first six months of our marriage were fine, and then after the six months, it got to the point where it felt wrong," she recalled.
"Our marriage lasted two years. He was a very good guy — it just wasn't the right fit."
Eight years ago, on her 26th birthday, Monica received a message from Tom wishing her a happy birthday.
It had been 11 years since they truly spoke.
The pair then FaceTimed and Monica told him how her marriage had ended.
She said: "We were 15 minutes into our conversation, and he said he was in love with me and he never fell out of love with me, and I said I felt the same.
"As soon as I saw his face it felt familiar, the conversation felt like I was speaking to my best friend – it wasn't weird at all.”
She credits their connection to “the invisible string theory,” saying it felt like they had been tied together their whole lives.
Everyone thought I was crazy, as I had just gotten divorced.
Monica Millington
Monica was living in Dallas, Texas, and Tom in Singapore, but the pair met up in London on New Year's Eve that year and spent seven hours in a pub planning their life together.
"We said we would see each other for lunch to see if we had a real connection and it wasn't just this exciting thing over FaceTime," Monica said.
"I went off for lunch with Tom at noon and the lunch lasted seven hours. It was in the gorgeous little pub — we were talking full speed for seven hours.”
"It was like a first date on steroids.”
When the date ended, he gave her a peck on the lips.
“That was my ‘oh sh**’ moment that sealed the deal."
Four months later, in April 2017, Monica went on a three-week solo trip around Asia, visiting Thailand and Bali before spending a week in Hong Kong.
"Everyone thought I was crazy, as I had just gotten divorced," she said.
"I flew out to Hong Kong — where Tom was working — and we hit it off. I was supposed to be out there for a week, and I stayed for a month."
The day before Monica had to fly back to the States, they were having dinner in a ramen bar when Tom said he wasn't worried about her leaving, as he knew he would marry her one day.
"He asked when we were getting married, and I said I didn't know, and he said he wanted to do it as soon as possible," she recalled.
I can't believe that the 14-year-old boy I met on vacation in Mexico is now my husband.
Monica Millington
"I asked him if that meant we were engaged and he said, 'Yes, we're engaged.’”
They soon shared the good news with their families.
"We called his parents and told them. They hadn't seen me since Mexico in 2005 — they were absolutely thrilled.
"I told my parents, and they asked if this was a rebound or a real thing — they were cautiously optimistic.
"As soon as they met him again, they fell in love with him."
Monica and Tom wed in Singapore on October 28, 2017, with their moms as witnesses.
"We booked a cute little hotel rooftop. Our moms flew out to be our witnesses," Monica said.
"We drank champagne and danced — it was very intimate."
Today, they are happily married, living in Singapore, with a one-year-old son, Cruz Millington, who was born in January of 2023.
"I can't believe that the 14-year-old boy I met on vacation in Mexico is now my husband," said Monica, a clothing designer.
"It still blows me away. I have so much gratitude. I am so lucky that this gets to be my story.
"I picked really well when I was 14, and I think because I picked such an amazing man, nobody else measured up.”
While she said she did “have love” for her first husband, after marrying Tom she realized what love is “supposed to feel like” — the same feeling she had at 14.
Tom, a trader, said, "I was immediately hooked from 14 years old when she swanned over to introduce herself with that Texas drawl.
"At the time, little did she know I had been trying to catch her eye since the moment I saw her on day one. But no way was I going to have that confidence.”
He said the years apart didn’t diminish his love for her.
"Although we lived on separate continents and life took its natural course, the power of the connection once made never faded. Frankly, over the years it instinctively grew.
"There was always a dream we would find each other again. She has and always will be the love of my life and my best friend."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Monica added: "I am very fortunate that this is our story. We have this beautiful little boy who is a spitting image of Tom. Cruz is happy and playful.
“We're so lucky."
