An extraordinary couple from U.K. has given a new twist to the popular expression, "Love is sweeter the second time around."
The aphorism usually refers to a man or a woman finding a new love, much better than their first love.
But for 20-year-old Jessica Sharman and 25-year-old Rich Bishop, its meaning is a bit more complicated.
The pair had been dating for seven months when Jessica suddenly lost her memory while the two of them were on board a train travelling from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, into London, The Sun reported.
When Jessica stepped off the train, she suddenly didn't recognise her boyfriend Rich and even her mother who came to see them at the train station.
Even more alarmingly, she lost all memory of her own identity.
To persuade her to come home, her mother showed her a picture of them together.
Later, her parents took Jessica to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery where she was diagnosed with amnesia brought on by epilepsy.
Although Jessica could not remember him and the love they had for each other, Rich continued to shower her with love—even when Jessica tried to end the relationship.
Rich refused to give up on her, telling her that he would help her remember the good times they had before and make her fall in love with him again.
"Seeing how passionate and caring he was finally convinced me he must care for me, so I agreed to give it a shot," Jessica told The Sun.
Rich took her to the places they've been together to rekindle her memory. Eventually, Rich's efforts began to pay off.
"He was so patient with me, so sweet, I couldn't help but fall for him," Jessica said.
Now, Jessica is trying to relearn her past life. Doctors say even if she recovers even some of her memory, there is a 50 percent chance she could lose it again.
But she is undaunted.
"Rich was able to make me fall in love with him twice — so I know he could do it again," Jessica said.
Jessica and Rich's story appears to mirror a 2004 movie titled "50 First Dates," which stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.
In the movie, Henry (Sandler) meets Lucy (Barrymore) in Hawaii. The two fall in love with each other, but the next day she acts like she doesn't know him anymore.
It turns out Lucy has a medical condition called short-term memory loss. Every morning when she wakes up, she loses all memory of what happened to her the day before.
And just like in the movie—where Henry pursues Lucy and makes her fall in love with him every day—Rich has vowed to do the same for Jessica.
