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Text leads to Mega Millions win for Virginia woman

Posted at 5:53 PM, Oct 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-26 17:53:34-04

(Virginia Lottery)

AYLETT, Va. – Teamwork makes the dream work.

A phrase that is true in both marriage and winning the lottery, apparently.

Kelley Brooks bought a Mega Millions winner after her husband Larry sent her a reminder text to pick up a ticket.

While the Brooks’ ticket did not match all the numbers in this week’s historic $1.6 billion drawing, it matched enough to earn the couple $1 million – a fact Kelley learned after she received another text from Larry.

“You won!” the text read.

“No, I didn’t!” was her reply.

But when she learned it was true, “I was shaking,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it!”

Kelley bought the winner at Chill Stop on Richmond Tappahannock Highway in Aylett.

She used Easy Pick and let the computer choose her numbers.

“I still feel the same way,” she said when she picked up her big check. “I’m still going to be the same person.”

The Virginia Lottery said in a statement that the chances of matching the first five numbers in Mega Millions are 1 in 12,607,306.