A 24-year-old has married an 85-year-old man who is way older than her grandfather.
Miracle Pogue, 24, from Starkville, Mississippi, met husband Charles Pogue, 85, when she was working in a launderette in 2019 and the pair quickly formed a friendship.
Retired real estate agent Charles finally decided to admit his feelings for the nurse a year after they met and he proposed in February 2020.
Charles doesn’t have any children and the couple are looking into IVF in the hope of starting a family to ensure Charles leaves behind a new generation.
Miracle says her mother Tamika Phillips, 45, and grandad Joe Brown, 72, were supportive of the relationship from the start after seeing how happy the pensioner made her but her dad Kareem Phillips, 47, was harder to convince.
Miracle recalled how her relationship with Charles began when she was working in the launderette, saying: “Charles used to bring in one item of clothing and only wanted me to serve him.
“One day he waltzed in there and threw a piece of paper down and said ?write down your number? like he’s a player. He was my knight in shining armour.
“We had a good vibe going, he didn’t make me feel weird. It was good conversation, he made me feel comfortable. I knew he was older but I didn’t know his age exactly.
“When I found out I was in too deep, it was a couple of months in and I already had feelings for him. He was my baby and he wasn’t going anywhere.
“I found out in conversation when we asked each other our date of birth and he said he was born in 1937.
“I never even placed his age, we just wanted to see how it went.
“I don’t care if he’s 100 or 55, I like him for him. I thought he was maybe 60 or 70 because he looks so good. He’s always up and active.
“My grandad said if I was happy and it’s what I want to do then he’s happy. My dad was like ‘hell no ma’am, not at all’.
“It took a lot of time to convince him but I asked him if he wanted to lose his daughter forever.
“If he didn’t come to my wedding, he would have lost me forever.
?I told him I needed his support and to walk me down the aisle. Once he got to meet Charles and talk to him, he loved him.?
Charles said: “Miracle has got a lot going for her. She’s got her life in order, she’s great.
“The wedding day was wonderful, it was the best day of my life. There’s no problem with the age difference.
?People making comments online doesn’t make a difference, we just let them do their thing. We’re very happy together. We’re looking forward to starting a family together.?
The couple married in July last year and Miracle describes the day as ?the best day? of her life.
Despite the age difference, Miracle says she’s desperate to start a family with Charles and hopes to have two children.
Miracle said: I want him to have another generation. We’re looking to go to an IVF clinic to talk about our options.
“We went to an IVF clinic before but we really felt the pre-judgment even though they don’t know me and it was quite overwhelming.
“Now I’m forgetting it as long as they give me my baby. Maybe Charles’s age will stop us from having children but I have an open mind. It may not work.
“I worry about Charles. At Thanksgiving he got Covid and I broke down. I prepared myself, but the way he gets up and goes every day, he’s not going anywhere.
“We prepare for things and he says he might not be here in five years. I tell him he will and he’ll outlive us all.
?I know realistically I’ll be around longer than him so I try to live and have fun and experience as much as I can with him. We try to live it up.?
Miracle claims her relationship has attracted a lot of negative attention online, with the couple often mistaken for father and daughter.
Miracle said: “One time we were going to Florida on vacation.
“We were renting a car and the lady said ?oh is this your dad? and I said ?yes this is my dad, hey papa, daddy?. I’m a goofy person so I won’t get mad.
“In public I don’t even care, I don’t think of it as being weird I just go about my day. People on the internet make me feel weird.
“I get backlash from people who don’t know me or love me, they just call it as they see it. I posted my man online and it blew further than I could even imagine.
“People were saying I’m using Charles, he doesn’t know what’s going on and saying I should be ashamed.
“Of course, people mention finances but I’m a nurse. I was starting medical school when I met him.
“I will be well off with or without Charles, it’s a choice to be with him and it makes me feel good that he chooses me.
“It’s so crazy that people come after me, as he’s the older one. He’s with me of his own free will, he chose me. I’ve learned it’s OK for people to say how they feel, it’s a free country.
?I have a lot of followers who are pro me and Charles. People say we look so good. People share their stories about their older men and say I make them feel comfortable in their skin.?
Commenters on TikTok debated whether Miracle is the age she claims, with one asking for evidence that she is 24.
One commenter wrote: ?24? No way. I’ve got to see proof and if you’re 24 I’ll never try to guess ages again.?
Another said: ?42 she meant.?
Miracle hit back insisting that she was born in 1998 and claims she may look older because she doesn’t dress ?all out?.
Miracle says she’s attracted to Charles’s laid-back nature but admits the age difference is stark when it comes to technology.
Miracle said: “I love his advice, I know I can go to Charles and ask him anything. I trust he’s not going to leave me in the dark, he’ll make sure I’m OK.
“He’s peaceful, he’s so laidback, he doesn’t want to argue. I love to hear his stories.
“I love to joke with him about technology. I will take a photo of a cheque and deposit it into my bank account. Charles doesn’t even have a bank card.
“It’s so weird how he operates but I like how he takes it easy.
?It’s a blessing to have someone you can talk to and confide in. I know our relationship looks weird and people think ‘what’s going on here?’ but I know he got me and I got him.?