When You See Just How These Couples Met, You’ll Know Romance Isn’t Dead.

Mary and Stephen Lindoff, married for more than 30 years, met when they were 9 and 8, respectively. They sat near one another in a school for the deaf in Montreal, Quebec. They parted ways, and would not meet again for over 20 years. Stephen was born completely deaf, and a bout of tuberculosis left him with minimal vision at the age of 6. Mary was also born deaf, and her vision began to deteriorate about 10 years ago, though it’s still better than her husband’s. Much of their communication, then, is based on touch, including tactile finger spelling. And because senses are heightened in the absence of others, Mary and Stephen’s sense of touch is extremely sensitive; though they’ve never heard one another’s voices and Stephen has never seen Mary’s face clearly, the couple knows everything about each other. And you know what else that means: “The sex is good,” Stephen told the Toronto Star.

Bob Humphries, 89, and Bernie Bluett, 87, met and fell in love as teenagers, but had to part ways when they both enlisted in the RAF in World War II. After the war, their lives continued in different directions, leading them both to marriages (to other people), and to Bernie moving to New Zealand. In 2002, Bernie’s daughter discovered that Bob was still alive, and the former (and future) couple, was reunited. Bernie moved back to England, finally seeing one another for the first time in decades. “When I saw him again I didn’t see an old man – I saw that young soldier. We both feel young at heart,” Bernie said. The couple was married in 2013.

It’s always nice to hear stories of love in adverse circumstances, although this story is not exactly sweet. Jeana Ramsey met Edward Johnson when she was working as a cook in the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, IN. Edward was an inmate, serving a second sentence. When he was released in 2001, they moved in together. Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and Jeana must have been easily led, because soon after, the couple was arrested after a bank robbery turned violent–two tellers were killed and a security guard was left paralyzed. They pled guilty. Edward got 40 years while Jeana got 7. Oh well. I’m sure the romance was fun while it lasted.

Boston Marathon participant James Costello was photographed the day of the 2013 bombing, staggering away from the explosion, clothing shredded, in what became an iconic image of the tragedy. He underwent several surgeries for his injuries, and recuperated at the Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital. There, he met Krista D’Agostino, a nurse who aided him in his recovery. They were engaged by December, and married in August 2014.

Eddie Harrison and Edith Hill, 95 and 96, respectively, met because they both liked to play the lottery. They both won and split the $2,500 prize. But they actually won a whole lot more. They spent ten years together before marrying in 2014, and consider themselves soul mates, never arguing. However, there are other factors that put their romance in peril. Edith’s daughters are fighting for custody of Edith, and, depending on the outcome, Edith could lose her house–and her husband. The couple is firm on their love and are willing to fight to stay together, though. “We’ll always be like this regardless of what happens,” Eddie says.

Lynne Love is a funeral director, and probably didn’t consider dabbling in matchmaking until she met Tom Lennon, 76, and Isabell Bacon, 70. She was helping them arrange funerals for their respective spouses, and kept in contact with them for some time after the funerals. Both widow and widower often complained to her of being lonely, so the aptly-named Lynne Love decided to set them up on a blind date. Six months later, Tom and Isabell were married, and Lynne was the witness. “I think if I died tomorrow,” Lynne says, “this would be my greatest achievement.”

When he was 6, Wang Zi-heng used to play with his next door neighbor, Qian-qian, and declared that he would marry her when they were older. Zi-heng’s family moved away, though, and that seemed to be the end of that. However, they reconnected some 18 years later and the spark was still there. The couple was married earlier this month.

Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones was a famous womanizer, and in a super-icky move, he married an 18-year-old Mandy Smith at the age of 49. That’s not the weirdest part, though. Wyman’s son Stephen ended up marrying Smith’s mother while Wyman and Smith were still married. … talk about awkward.

Roscoe was a stray when he wandered into The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) in South Carolina. Looking thin and lost, he was fed by the staff, and almost immediately took to Suriya, a male orangutan. The two quickly became the best of friends, and have gained fame. The couple is inseparable, and recently a picture book about their daily exploits.