When Allie was 15, she and her family spent a few weeks in a small town, due to her father’s business. During this time, Allie fell in love with Noah. When summer was over, Allie and her family went back home, but Allie and Noah never forgot about each other. Noah wrote Allie letters frequently for 4 years, but Allie’s mom hid the letters before Allie saw them due to not approving of the relationship (thinking it was just puppy love). Allie carried on as her family expected: She began a relationship with Lon, the son of a rich family. Lon is a successful lawyer.
Weeks before Allie and Lon are due to marry, she finds out from a newspaper that Noah ended up fixing up the abandoned plantation house that they used to visit together. Allie takes a trip to visit Noah under the pretense that she’s just taking a break from the stress of wedding planning.
Allie and Noah rekindle their flame. Allie realizes that her heart has always been better aligned with Noah’s:
Noah:
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Noah knows the importance of enjoying the little things in life, such as sitting in a rocking chair and appreciating nature/ loved ones.
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He is extremely compassionate, so he took in a dog that was abandoned by its owner after it got hit by a car and had to have a leg amputated. He also helped a single mom down the street repair her roof so that she and her kids wouldn’t be too cold during the winter months.
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He enjoys reading poetry and discussing feelings.
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He encourages Allie to pursue her passion for painting and enjoys discussing the meaning behind abstract art.
Lon:
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Lon consistently works overtime to keep up his success, even though this eats into his time with Allie.
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He, like his father, does not feel comfortable openly discussing emotions.
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He does not understand abstract art and does not go out of his way to support her when her mother says that painting is an unwise career.
Allie ended up choosing Noah, and they had 5 kids together (and went through the shared grief of losing one of these kids).
Decades later, Allie developed dementia. Yet Noah still loves Allie and faithfully visits her everyday, reading her the story of their life until she remembers him on her own (if she is having a good day). The fact that Allie can still sometimes remember Noah and is more stable defies science.
On the night of their 49th anniversary, Noah sneaks into Allie’s room, thanks to the nurse on guard announcing to him that she’s going downstairs for a “coffee break” (despite her full, steaming hot coffee cup sitting on her desk) to allow him to see Allie.