Love wins—couple ties the knot after racism tore them apart four decades ago

Love stories can take many twists and turns. But for one couple, one such detour lasted more than 40 years. In 1972, Jeanne Gustavson met Steve Watts at the German club at Loyola University and was instantly attracted. Their love story should’ve continued from this day forward, but sadly it was cut short when Gustavason abruptly broke up with the man she loved.

Gustavason explained to CBS News that her mother did not approve of her interracial relationship and wasn’t shy about expressing her disdain for the couple. This disapproval of the courtship is what led to the breakup. Eventually, Gustavason and Watts married and divorced other people, but they never forgot about the love that ended too soon.

You’d think after four decades apart and all the life lived in between that the pair would have fully moved on. But it seems that true love really doesn’t die because Gustavason went looking for Watts in 2021, and she found him.

However, Watts had experienced several major setbacks in life, including two strokes that had left him bedridden. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the couple’s love and determination to be together. The soon-to-be-bride arranged for her long lost love to be moved from the nursing home into her home in Portland, Oregon, where she took on caregiving duties.

Though things may look different, these two love birds are getting their happily ever after. The pair recently got married surrounded by friends and family, and now they can live out the rest of their days making up for the time spent apart.

Watch the sweet love story below: