‘He said it blew up’: B.C. octogenarians find deep love after viral fame

Adam finds out how a pair of seniors went viral for falling in love – but discovered something far more meaningful.

If this were a Hollywood movie, it might begin with a wide shot of Jim Adams’ art studio, before cutting to a close-up, and revealing the then almost 80 year-old was a widower.

“I figured that was it. I was done,” Jim says. “I won’t find anyone.”

Cut to Audrey Coutts. The then almost-79-year-old was so happy being single she was in the midst of canceling her online dating profile - that’s when she got a message about being overwhelmingly compatible with a guy named Jim.

“Bingo! There was his face,” Audrey laughs, recalling their first video call. “Wow!”

A montage might come next, showing how they realized they shared common values, and volunteered in common communities, by talking for hours every night for two weeks.

“And it was like yah,” Jim smiles. “This is right.”

“It just fit,” Audrey says of their effortless conversations. “And I thought, I have to meet this man.”

Which is when the comedy in romantic comedy would occur; when Jim forgot his wallet on their first date, and six months later attempted to propose over a bowl of pasta.

“I was saying [to myself] don’t drop it in the pasta! Don’t drop it in the pasta!” Jim smiles, before revealing he didn’t drop the engagement ring in the pasta and she did say ‘yes.’

“I had [happy] tears,” Audrey smiles.

The movie’s big climax would happen after the wedding, after Jim’s son congratulated them on social media, with a post proclaiming it’s not impossible to find love so late.

“He said it blew up,” Jim says of the viral tweet. “And I said, ‘Was anybody hurt?’”

Just the opposite. After the story was picked up by media all over the world, from People magazine to Oprah to a paper in India, a lot of people were filled with hope.

“[They felt] here’s something magical that happened for these people,” Audrey smiles. “And it was.”

And if this were a Hollywood movie, the music would swell and the credits would roll. But it’s not, this is real life.

Four months later, Audrey was diagnosed with cancer, and then so was Jim.

“When it says, in sickness and in health, we both take that very seriously,” Jim says.

So, the newlyweds cared for each other tirelessly, loved each other unconditionally, and now four years later, Audrey and Jim are not only healthy, they’re experiencing a love far deeper than the superficial kind we often see on screens.

“We are happy,” Audrey smiles.

“We laugh a lot. We share a lot.”

“I think it’s great,” Jim laughs. “It’s wonderful.”

And it really is never too late, to find your real-life happily ever after.