“We met at the skating rink in Pelham, Ga. when we were like 15 years old,” Maretta recalled to the outlet after sharing photos of them together from that time period on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n A couple (stock image) The two dated briefly, “went to some church picnics” and danced at homecoming together, but they ultimately broke up \u2014 going their separate ways for years.<\/p>\n “I hadn’t seen him anywhere, even when I would return home,” she said. “I left, went to college, got married. He got married. I never saw him again in the store when visiting home.”<\/p>\n Maretta was married for 30 years. After her divorce, she was at a crossroads and confused about the direction of her life.<\/p>\n \u201cI had been married my whole adult life,\u201d she said, admitting she didn’t plan to get married again after that.<\/p>\n However, Fred never forgot his high school love. Almost 40 years after the pair lost touch, he decided to reach out to her through Facebook.<\/p>\n “He had been divorced a lot longer than me,” Maretta explained. “I had been divorced for like six years, so it was still kind of new.”<\/p>\n Because of this, she was hesitant. She contacted his longtime friend, Todd West, and asked what she should expect from Fred’s personality as an adult.<\/p>\n \u201cI reached out to Todd, and I said, \u2018Should I give him my number? What is he like now? I don’t know him anymore,’ \u201d she said.<\/p>\n Maretta decided to give Fred her number, and he called around an hour later. From there, the two \u201cnever really stopped\u201d talking.<\/p>\n The two had an “easy” connection, and Fred had been \u201cwaiting for the right one” before connecting with Maretta. After the call, they met in person and even strengthened their strong bond.<\/p>\n A couple (stock image) \u201cIt was wonderful,\u201d she said. \u201cWe just talked and talked and talked and talked just really got to know one another once again.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, in July, Maretta and Fred will celebrate their third wedding anniversary. \u201cNever give up on love,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause you just never know.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n “We went our separate ways, but made it back to one another,” Fred said.<\/p>\n As for what advice Maretta would give for others approaching love, she suggests that others be patient and kind.<\/p>\n \u201cAllowing someone to help lead,\u201d she said. \u201cI was so strong-minded\u2026 I’ve had to humble myself a little bit and be a partner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood things come to those who wait,\u201d Maretta added. \u201cBe kind to everyone because you don’t know when you’ll see them again.”<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c44e441c8e59b46be3061107fcebfa03.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: getty<\/p>\n