Divorced parents were forced to live together during the pandemic — and then fell in love all over again

When relationships end, most people look ahead; they start over, find new rhythms, and rarely expect to return to what they left behind, but Rachel Gaede’s parents are the exception. Not only did they rekindle their romance, but they also married each other again. Now telling their story, Gaede shared on her Instagram @gachelraedehow, how her divorced parents found their way back to each other during the early months of the pandemic. In the video, she wrote, "The butterfly effect is crazy because what do you mean if there wasn't a global pandemic, my parents would still be divorced?"

Gaede shared that when COVID hit in March 2020, the family made the decision to quarantine as a small, strict unit to protect Rachel’s 99-year-old grandmother. The group included Rachel, her mother, her sister, and her dad after he said, "I wanna see my kids." "We were like, if you wanna see us, you can’t see literally anyone else. Dad was like, yeah, 'Okay,'" she said. For the first time in over a decade, the four of them were spending every day together. Rachel was a college student living at home, her sister was finishing high school, and their parents were two divorced people navigating daily life under one roof.

Over time, the dynamic shifted. "The vibes were insane," Rachel said, describing the energy in the house. By the time the pandemic restrictions began to ease, the family had already experienced what she called "back-to-back-to-back family traumas." That period solidified the renewed bond between her parents. "They locked in after that," she said. One day, Rachel returned from a trip to find out they had made a major decision. "I came home, and they were like, we bought a house," she shared, surprised by the news. About a year into living together again, her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. The family wanted her to witness the "full-circle" moment. "We were like, 'Dad, you need to propose right now,'" she said.

"We planned the engagement so insanely fast, but it was literally perfect," Gaede said. It happened at the same place as their original wedding. Gaede took the engagement photos herself, and the ring was made by one of her dad’s longtime friends. A year later, they were married again, in a ceremony attended only by Gaede, her sister, and a cousin who officiated. "There are truly and genuinely no words to describe the way that it feels to watch your parents fall in love with each other. Our life has not always been perfect, but it has always been interesting," she said.

Viewers were surprised and moved by how the story of Gaede's parents unfolded. @gracielouville commented, "We need a whole interview with both of their perspectives from the beginning! I need to know what he said when he proposed again." @yolandacassandra said, "I love this! My parents remarried after rekindling during Covid after 15ish years as well." @jos_dot_dot_dot added, "This literally reminds me of the Parent Trap in the cutest way. So happy for your family." @ryansviolentdelights wrote, "'Watching your parents fall in love with each other'—wow. That’s something that would usually only be possible with a time machine and being a fly on the wall. How blessed you are to see this."

You can follow Rachel Gaede (@gachelraedehow) on Instagram for more content on her parents' journey.