A Real Love Story

I have a story to tell.
It is a story about love.
Not the fairy tale type of love, but real love.

Once upon a time there was a girl and a boy.
The boy fell in love with the girl the first time he saw her.
One day when the boy found out the girl was single and when he finally got up the courage, he asked the girl out on a date.
The girl accepted, making it understood that it was just a date. She didn't want a relationship.
The boy figuring he got his foot in the door, was going to sweep the girl off her feet.
And that he did.
The girl couldn't believe that there was a boy out there that could treat her any better. He would open doors for her, he would respect her and really listen to her. He didn't judge her or try to force his opinions on her.
He let her be her, and loved her for it.

When the girl left home at 16 and went out on her own.
The boy was there for her. When she felt no one else cared, no one asked how she was, when her family forgot about her. The boy was there.
He let her do everything on her own, but she knew he was there if she needed him.
When the girl's health got bad and she was ill, and she wanted to keep it private. He respected her wishes, and he was there for her. He was there when she was sick, he was there for the many doctors appointments, he was there for all the tests, and he was there for the results.
The girl knew this boy was the person she wanted to grow old with, the person who would be there for her as she would be there for him.
4 years later, the boy, now a man, put a ring in a single rose, got on his one knee and asked the girl, now a woman, to spend the rest of their lives together.
She accepted.
1 year they got married. They didn't have a big celebration. It was just them and their 2 friends as witnesses. It was quiet, just like them, it was personal, just like them. It was just them through the years, it was just them for that special day.
1 1/2 years later they had their first baby, a baby girl. They were so happy. They couldn't believe that they (the two of them, together) made this beautiful perfect little baby girl.
7 months later, they found out they were going to have another baby.
This wasn't meant to be. The baby was lost and they grieved together.
Only to find out that a month later that they were expecting again.
9 months later, another beautiful baby girl was born. How can life be any better than this.
4 years later another beautiful baby girl was born. Life can get better.

Like I said this is a love story.
It not a perfect story. There is loss, pain, grief and there are times of question.
But this is a Real Love story. Not everything is perfect. It couldn't be or how could they appreciate the perfect days.
They didn't live happily ever after, their story isn't finished.
There will still be highs and lows, there will still be sickness and health, there will still be riches and poors. But through it all, they will be together, just as they were at the beginning.
Happy 23rd Anniversary Wayne.
I loved you then, I love you now, I will love you forever.

Tracy