When Harold Holland and Lillian Barnes filed for a divorce back in 1968 after 12 years of marriage, they thought it was the end of their relationship. In fact, they even got married again to different people.
But fate really has a funny way of working out, and these two former lovebirds found themselves back together again after 50 long years apart.
Holland, 83, and Barnes, 79, will tie the knot again after rekindling their romance last year. Both of their spouses died in 2015, and when they saw each other during a family gathering, they could not deny their chemistry.
"I saw them a couple months ago, and I'm telling you, it's like puppy love. They call each other honey, sugar, baby all these pet names," said the couple's grandson Joshua Holland, 34. "They light up when they see each other, they're like two teenagers in love. They hold hands, they joke with each other."
Holland and Barnes maintained a cordial relationship after their divorce for the sake of their five kids. They separated mainly because of Holland's overwhelming work schedule, so Barnes was left to care for the family herself.
When Holland threw a family reunion at his house last summer, everybody was surprised that Barnes attended. "One thing led to another, and we had dinner together," Holland said. "We got a little more friendlier when we were alone."
Holland was surprised but pleased that Barnes agreed to give him another chance. He blames himself for the failure of their first marriage, since he was at the office seven days a week. There were more problems aside from his being a workaholic, but Holland would rather keep those things private.
"I thought from the time we got a divorce she'd never look at me again," he said. "I say all the time it was all my fault."
Joshua, who is a pastor in New Orleans, will be the one to officiate their wedding at Trinity Baptist Church in Lexington on April 14. Holland said he wants the celebration to be simple, but he suspects the guest list would balloon to over 300. "People say they're coming whether we invited them or not," he laughingly said.
Meanwhile, Barnes told TODAY that it feels weird getting married to the same man, but she is nonetheless "tickled pink" about it. "It's come around full circle," she said. "We started it out. I guess we'll finish it."
