THE FIRST TIME Erica and Austin met in person was not your typical first date, in some bar or restaurant. It was outside the gates of a prison in Iowa, on his release day after serving a seven year sentence for his part in an armed robbery. They had been put in touch seven months earlier by a mutual friend, who had suggested that realtor Erica may be able to help Austin find a place to live once he got out. And though romance was the furthest thing from both their minds at the time, the more they talked on the phone, the stronger their feelings for one another grew. Though loved ones questioned why Erica was turning down dates to stay home and talk to a man in prison thousands of miles away, they soon came around once they saw how happy she was. The couple have also faced their fair share of criticism from online trolls - but proved all the haters wrong when they tied the knot days after Christmas 2021. She said: "People judge from a 15 second online clip when they have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. But I'm really excited for this next chapter with Austin. The future is bright."

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