Sometimes, love is like a sucker punch to the gut. Other times, it’s a warm home-cooked meal waiting on the kitchen table. Even some lay right underneath the surface, waiting to be undercovered and enjoyed. Such is the case for Caroline and Mathew Toadvine’s twenty-plus-long relationship. What started as a whirlwind romance quickly grew into something out of a fairytale, as the two dedicated themselves to each other, through a medical emergency, a cross-country move, two kids, and now working together side-by-side as IB Counselor and Assistant Principal. 

Caroline and Mathew met in their twenties, in a local bar out of Salisbury Maryland called Mulligan’s Grill and Pub, over a game of pool. While the two had never crossed paths before, they lived under each other’s noses for over two years. 

“I was a history teacher at the local middle school, and [Mathew] worked in finance,” said Caroline. “In fact, my apartment was literally two minutes from his work, but we never crossed paths. It was funny, though, because we didn’t know it at the time, but we [had] mutual friends and everything.”

One of those friends was Thomas Broughman, a Maryland local who has known Mathew since college. 

“Mat and about five of his college buddies, including myself, were all going out to Mulligan’s [Grill and] Pub for a little get-together. Food, darts, and pool,” stated Broughman. “After engaging in some really good conversation [with Caroline], I realized that there was a height deficiency on my end.  I’m only coming in at 5 ‘7″,  however, my best friend Mat is an awesome guy and much taller, so the introduction was made and Mat pretty much ignored us the rest of the evening.”

This one introduction sets the mood for the rest of Mat and Caroline’s relationship. The two hit it off during their first date at a Texas Roadhouse, learning more and more about each other and their similarities. 

“I just remember talking for the longest time. We had a lot in common,” said Caroline.  “I was a history teacher, and [Mathew was] really into Egyptian history, and that’s what I was teaching at the time.”

Caroline always reflected on their relationship as perfect timing. Ironically, they nearly met each other three years before, when she applied to work at the company Mathew was working for. Through working two jobs and a past bad relationship, the two managed to find each other exactly when they needed them. 

The two spent their first Christmas together watching Shrek, something they treasure to this day. 

“At Christmas time, he came home and his parents sent me coffee. And he bought me a really nice pair of earrings and a sweater, and did just little things like that,” said Caroline. “He’s just a good person and has similar values.”

Yet, that didn’t mean they didn’t have their tests in the relationship. Not even six months after the two met, Mathew had a medical emergency. At this moment, he said he knew Caroline was the one. 

“We were living in Maryland at the time, and we were planning on moving down here [to Lee County]. I went back up early, [Caroline] was still looking for a job in Lee or Charlotte County. And when I went back up north, my appendix ruptured,” started Mathew. “I’m kind of pig-headed. I didn’t want to go to the hospital, but she got me there. Just knowing how much she cared and thought of me and took everything seriously, I knew she was the one.”

Caroline stayed in the hospital with Mat for a week, making sure he was healthy enough to return home. According to Mat, Caroline nursed him back to health. 

“Everything turned out just fine, I’m still here to tell the tale. But she was just there for me when I needed her most,” said Mathew.

Broughman admires the Toadvine’s connection and commitment towards each other the most, stating “Mat and Caroline had a solid relationship from almost the very beginning. The relationship was filled with lots of laughter, love, respect, and a genuine want to please the other.”

Valentine’s Day enters. Mathew’s planning a proposal better than the romcoms. Caroline, as all continues as normal, is oblivious. 

A traditionally expected Valentine’s Day date occurs at a seemingly expected fancy restaurant. Yet, when they get home, three gifts are waiting for Caroline. 

“I could only open two of the three gifts. So I’m like, well, give me the big ones. Obviously, I opened the first one. It was two movies, I think, and they were wedding movies,” said Caroline. “I’m like looking at these and I’m like okay, so then I open the next one and it’s a Vera Wang wedding planning book.”

It was at that moment Caroline knew Mathew was asking her to marry him. The last gift was a bear with a heart zipper that she basically “tackled” Mat for. He proposed minutes after. 

“It was good, very creative, and such a good memory,” said Caroline.

Mathew and Caroline became Mr. and Mrs. Toadvine on May 29th, 2004. The two were wed locally on Parrot Key on Fort Myers Beach. Their wedding is one of Broughman’s favorite memories. 

“I’m kinda the sappy type, so seeing my best friend marry the woman who has become his best friend was definitely my favorite memory.  I thought the wedding was perfect,” said Broughman.  “[It was on] the beach with all of our friends and their families in attendance and [it] was so easy to see the love and happiness in both of their eyes.”

“It was a great wedding,” said Mathew. “Everyone came down from Maryland. It was a great time and a big wedding considering all our family was up north. All our friends came down and it was just great.”

Caroline remembered the weather as perfect, and their beach wedding was a dream. 

Now, over twenty years later, the two hold down the fort at Cape Coral High School. They wake up every morning before the sun at 3:30 AM and say that exercising together is their favorite part of the day. 

“Our one tradition is to get up at 3:30 in the morning,” said Caroline. “That way we have time to talk before we go to work. A lot of couples miss that time and we feel like it gives us a real solid foundation.”

Even after two kids, Mat feels their relationship is just as strong as the day they met. “It’s been a really good secret for us to just maintain that connection. We have a rule to try not to talk about work at home and [to] just leave work at work,” said Mathew.

Yet, the two think that working together again has brought them closer. After previously working at Diplomat Middle School together, they have got their work and home routines down nearly perfectly. 

“[Caroline’s] a strength for me,” said Mathew. “She keeps me focused and settled, and to walk by and see her is very comforting for me.”

Likewise, Caroline sees Mat as something stable in their day-to-day work. “It’s really neat for me to see [Mathew]. We worked together before as teachers, but it’s really inspiring,” said Caroline. 

Dedicating their lives to the education system, the Toadvines value their commitment to each other as a necessary part of their success in education. 

“We do service every day. So for Mat and I, that’s something we do for others when we can. It’s very gratifying,” said Caroline. “We get to see all different angles of what our students are having to deal with at school in different perspectives, and we have more empathy, more understanding of a day in the life high school students are going through. So, I just feel very blessed. We’re very blessed because of this job and each other.”