He felt his pulse race as they perfectly described the photo to him. He couldn’t believe that they were staring at a photo of him from 11 years ago. Who was this person, and what were their intentions?
But when they finally told him why they had kept the photo all these years and reached out to him, it would be the last thing he could have suspected. Now he knew the truth, and there was no going back from this.
He tried to always do his part for good in the world. They were values that were taught to him by his parents at a young age. They knew that teaching good beliefs when he was young would set him up for success.
And it rubbed off on him. At the age of eight, he decided to take part in a charity drive called “Operation Christmas Child.” The drive involved him filling a shoebox with items less fortunate. He wanted to add something extra special – so to top off the gift, he added a photo of himself. But he had no idea that that decision would change his life forever.
Fast forward 11 years, and now an 18-year-old Jake Matthews had just finished college. He had dreams of being a humanitarian and helping as many people as he could.
He regularly volunteered in soup kitchens and donated to charity as often as he could.
One evening when Jake got home, he noticed that he had a peculiar friend request on his computer. It was from someone he had never met before and never heard of. He normally declined friend requests, but he had a strange feeling about it.
His curiosity was too great, and he decided to accept the request. The person didn’t even seem to live on the same continent as he did. But he had no idea what would happen after accepting the fateful request.
After accepting the friend request, Jake quickly forgot about it as he continued with his week. The person quickly left his mind as he spent his days studying and his nights unwinding. But soon, he would find out something unsettling.
Jake would be reminded that the person existed as soon as he got a message from them on social media. By itself, this wouldn’t be unsettling, but it was what the person wanted to tell Jake that would change everything.
Jake studied for most of the day and then ended up working shifts just to cover his own rent. Even though it wasn’t easy, it was the simplicity that he enjoyed. He’d check his social media every night. That’s when he saw it.
Jake got home and checked his social media only to find a new message. It was from the person he had accepted the friend request from. But the strangest thing was what they had to say.
It was a strange circumstance by any means. His life had been so simple just a few days ago and now he was talking to a complete stranger on social media. But they seemed to have a huge interest in him for some reason.
The person that Jake swore he had never seen or even knew claimed that they knew him! They even could tell him what eye and hair color he had. Jake felt like rushing for the phone to call the police but decided to hear them out.
Jake felt unsettled by the person. They sounded like a stalker. He felt like he was being followed. What if they knew more about him than he liked? He felt a lump in his throat. But even though he was worried, he knew he had to see it to the end.
He decided, rather than scaring the person off. He wanted to talk to them to find out more about them. He wanted to know how they knew him and what their intentions were. Only then could he feel safe. But he could never have prepared himself for what he would find out.
The person messaging Jake told him that they were just a kind stranger that knew him. He didn’t understand what they were talking about. How could they know him when he knew nothing about them?
His curiosity got the better of him, and he started asking them questions. He wanted to know how they knew him and, ultimately, what they wanted. He wouldn’t be scammed or taken advantage of, even if he did always try to be nice.
Jake’s eyes grew wide as they said something that he hadn’t thought about in a very long time. They mentioned a photograph. At first, he didn’t know what they were talking about, but then he realized what she was talking about.
She was talking about the photo from the shoebox. It was one of his first charitable actions that jumpstarted his passion for helping people. But how did she come into possession of the photo? He had to find out.
He felt his pulse race as they perfectly described the photo to him. He couldn’t believe that they were staring at a photo of him from 11 years ago. Who was this person, and what were their intentions?
But when they finally told him why they had kept the photo all these years and reached out to him, it would be the last thing he could have suspected. Now he knew the truth, and there was no going back from this.
The person revealed that they were the less than fortunate girl that had ended up getting his shoebox gift. The photo meant everything to her, and she decided to keep it. Promising to one day try and find him.
Jake was speechless. He was astounded that his gift had meant that much to her. He smiled to himself and started speaking to her regularly after that. Soon a bond developed between them.
Fast forward four months and the two of them were still chatting away. They had gotten familiar with each other and were keen to finally meet. It just felt like fate, but both were still a little scared about catfishing.
In both Jake and Abby’s mind, it was always better to be safe than sorry. The two of them decided to rather get to know each other better before finally meeting each other. But after six months, they couldn’t wait any longer.
Jake decided that after six months, he was finally ready to meet her. He arranged to visit her over a mid-term break from his university. He bought himself a ticket to the UK, which was a long way from his home in Idaho.
After the flight, he got an Uber to where Abby lived. She showed him the worn photo that had survived in her care for over a decade. Even though he was now a fully grown man, she said that she still saw the same person.
After meeting, the two finally knew that they were made for each other. It seemed like fate works in strange ways and that they were put together for a reason. After two years of dating, Jake proposed.
Abby said yes through years of joy, and the two of them looked forward to being together for the rest of their lives. And they had a beautiful love story that they could tell their kids one day when they asked how they met.
