These days, love stories are generally more like sagas, oftentimes involving divorce, blended families, and a whole lot of false starts. And, though we definitely don’t judge (there is no ‘normal, anyways!), we do have to admit that we still are suckers for fairytale endings.

Now, don’t get us wrong; the tale that we have for you today isn’t conventional, but it DOES involve a couple who fell in love during childhood and managed to stay together up until their deaths—some 71 years into their marriage.

Husband and wife duo, Wilf and Vera Russell, had long lives and a seriously close relationship. In fact, their granddaughter, Stephanie Welch, tells the Telegraph that they refused to spend a night apart. Apparently, Wilf’s having been deployed in both Italy and North Africa during WWII was enough for the couple to want to hold each other close—real close.

Wilf and Vera had so much in common that they even exited the world at practically the same moment. You see, just last year, 93-year-old Wilf had been diagnosed with dementia, and he eventually had to leave his love to live in a nursing home.

As expected, the couple had a tough time being apart—especially Vera who had to endure the anguish of watching her husband slowly fade away, all on his own. During one of her last visits, Wilf’s memory had deteriorated so much that he didn’t recognize his bride.

This fact was so agonizing for Vera, that her health began to quickly decline, and she herself was forced to spend her last months in a hospital room.

Now, you’ve probably already caught on to the fact that these two, sadly, are no longer with us. And, though their story is still aspirational, even if we were to end it here, it’s their last moments that are so remarkable.

You see, Wilf ended up exiting this world at 6:50 am on March 29^th, shortly followed by his wife at 6:54.

Not to get morbid, but this certainly wasn’t a Romeo and Juliet scenario—sure, they didn’t want to live without one another, but Vera was completely unaware of Wilf’s death at the time that she died. She simply slipped away peacefully, less than 5 minutes after her man’s passing.

Take a moment if you need to—this story gives us chills, too!

Their granddaughter is convinced that Vera was “waiting for him [her husband] to go.” Adding that her nan had been “heartbroken” over the events that had transpired.

An incredible story, indeed! We sure hope that these two are at peace. To learn even more about this extraordinary relationship, be sure to click on the video below. We think this one is enough to make you believe in true love once again!

What do you think of Vera and Wilf’s uncanny timing? Have you heard of other similar instances before? Do you have any one-of-a-kind love stories that you would like to share? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!