A couple with a 45-year age gap have overcome ‘jealousy’ and health woes to find their unique happily ever after and say they refused to be shamed by those who don’t understand their relationship
A couple with a 45-year age gap have had to deal with “jealous” individuals who want to “separate” them – but nevertheless insist they couldn’t be happier.
Adrián Narváez, now 43, first met Delia Lúquez, now 88, at an art exhibition in 1998, back when he was 16 and she 61. At first, the pair were just friends, having bonded over their respective creative interests. Teacher Delia was a keen hobby painter, while Adrián loved writing poems and stories.
After their first meeting, Adrián and Delia kept in touch, exchanging letters, which Adrián cherishes to this day. As the years went by, their friendship became romantic, and Adrián, who feels as though he was born at the wrong time, admitted to Delia that he’d fallen in love with her.
A relationship blossomed, but for twelve long months, they opted to keep their romance a secret – meeting up only occasionally to play cards or enjoy a drink in each other’s company. The couple, who are both Jehovah’s Witnesses and live in Rivadavia, Mendoza, Argentina, had to adhere to the strict rules of their faith and were unable to be alone with each other in a private space. And they encountered yet more challenges once they decided to go public with their love.
As Delia told the local press, not everybody was happy about their relationship. She explained: “The father accepted me right away, but the mother didn’t want to know anything.” Adrián, who says he also prefers older car models and houses, added: “It was jealousy. They did not understand that, despite the age difference, we could love each other. At first, they did the impossible to separate us.”
But despite the significant hurdles they had to face, love ultimately triumphed. Adrián, who, even as a teenager, was never attracted to women of his own age, told Infobae: “I’ve never been ashamed of the age difference. Honestly, I don’t notice it. And even though there’s 45 years between us, I go with her everywhere.”
On March 18, 2005, as reported by What’s The Jam, Adrián and Delia decided to make things official by tying the knot and are now preparing to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. They’re still just as happy as ever but have had to navigate some ups and downs along the way.
Back in 2009, Delia underwent eight operations after suffering problems with her hip, knee, eyes, and gallbladder. More recently, Delia was hospitalised for arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat – and Adrián unfortunately wasn’t able to see her. Thankfully, Delia has now recovered.
All these years on from that fateful exhibition, the pair still share a passion for art and support each other’s work. While Adrián recites poems at Delia’s art exhibitions, she creates artwork to be presented in her his books.
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