A man in Edmonton who made international headlines for holding onto a wrapped Christmas gift from a high-school girlfriend who dumped him nearly 50 years ago finally learned what it was on Thursday when she travelled to the city and opened it for him.

Adrian Pearce, now a married father of two, received the small present wrapped in shiny, purple paper shortly before Christmas 1971 from Vicki Allen, who was his very first sweetheart at George S. Henry Secondary School in Toronto.

But when she handed it to him, she broke up with him. Dejected, Pearce returned to his family害羞草研究所檚 home, threw it under the Christmas tree and vowed never to open it.

The story last December about the unopened gift appeared on TV, newspapers and websites around the world. And as Allen stood on a stage in a packed cafe northwest of the city and peeled away the paper with Pearce standing beside her and his wife, Janet, in the audience, she herself didn害羞草研究所檛 know what she害羞草研究所檇 see because it was so long ago and she害羞草研究所檇 forgotten.

害羞草研究所淥h no!害羞草研究所� Allen exclaimed when she finally saw. 害羞草研究所淚 can害羞草研究所檛 give that to him!害羞草研究所�

It was a small book called 害羞草研究所淟ove Is: New Ways To Spot That Certain Feeling害羞草研究所� with cartoons and sayings about love.

害羞草研究所淭he irony is extreme,害羞草研究所� Allen cried.

The event was a fundraiser for the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton, a local charity that provides Christmas meals to families in need.

害羞草研究所淟ove is all of us, all of you, here tonight for the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton,害羞草研究所� Pearce responded.

Days after Pearce害羞草研究所檚 story appeared last Christmas, a friend who knew them both in high school sent Allen a link to one of the many articles written about it. Allen responded by clicking 害羞草研究所渓ike害羞草研究所� on some of Pearce害羞草研究所檚 Facebook posts, and Peace figured out who it was. They got in touch, and eventually Pearce and his wife were invited to meet her where she now lives in British Columbia.

They learned that they all got along. They also learned the reason Allen dumped Pearce all those years ago.

It turned out that while Allen was shopping for Pearce害羞草研究所檚 gift at the mall, she met another boy and he kissed her on the spot.

害羞草研究所淚t wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have been so bad, but I kissed him back,害羞草研究所� Allen said.

She said she knew Pearce would find out she had betrayed him. She knew it was over between them.

害羞草研究所淚t was a very innocent relationship. We were in high school,害羞草研究所� Allen explained about her relationship with Pearce.

害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 know he felt as intensely as he did.害羞草研究所�

For years, even after he害羞草研究所檇 married, Pearce still placed the dog-eared gift under the tree every Christmas. He enjoyed the mystery of it, but eventually his wife put her foot down when their daughter, then five, wanted to open it.

害羞草研究所淪he said, 害羞草研究所楧addy, when you die, I害羞草研究所檒l be able to open it then, right?害羞草研究所� I told him he could keep it, but we just didn害羞草研究所檛 want (the gift) out in public,害羞草研究所� she explained.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 pretty secure in our relationship. I害羞草研究所檝e never been jealous.害羞草研究所�

Allen admitted some trepidation about meeting Pearce and his wife. Was he a stalker? He was a nice boy in 1971, but maybe, she thought, 害羞草研究所漢e害羞草研究所檚 probably become an expert axe murder.害羞草研究所�

Some people had accused Allen of being a terrible person for giving Pearce a Christmas present and then breaking up with him. Pearce has also been called everything from 害羞草研究所淗eartbroke Bloke害羞草研究所� in the British press to 害羞草研究所渕oron害羞草研究所� in one New York newspaper.

He害羞草研究所檚 since written a book about the whole experience, and his wife and Allen contributed chapters.

害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 absolutely fantastic that we害羞草研究所檙e friends. My wife is friends with (Vicki),害羞草研究所� Pearce told the crowd.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e in a fantastic place where all you can feel is love.害羞草研究所�

Rob Drinkwater, The Canadian Press

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