So, I'm Toni, I'm 29 with three kids and as the headline says I'm new here. Also, since this is my second post, you probably figured. I'm getting married to Greg who is 36 with no kids on the 15th of December (assuming we can find an affordable and available venue). Our story is somewhat unconventional. Or is it? IDK. How about I just tell it.
This is my third wedding and Greg's first. I divorced one abusive husband and my second, who was amazing, died in June from lung cancer. Yes, yes, Three months ago. The thing with long illness is, the surviving spouse is left with a much shorter grieving time than a lot of peopel find appropriate. When you spend two years watching someone be slowly tortured to death, you find it's easier to move on with life when it's finally over, than it would have been had he died closer to the initial diagnosis as was expected. You welcome life. You are so excited that your life can move on. And that spouse, the one who's died, your relationship with them wasn't that of a husband and wife for a long time, either. You've been the caregiver, he the patient. The protector and the protected. The disease eats away at your brain, your body, your relationship. And you're left exhausted, emotionally and physically.
Greg has been my best friend for the better part of 7 years. We met in Everquest 2 and he was also Karl's good friend, we made several visits to each other over the years. He was always the person who was there for me, no matter what, he has been the person I've laid all of my emotions for the past year on. So to us, it was so easy, and made so much sense and his been incredible to make the change from friends to lovers to planning a wedding. My kids already know and trust him, my parents already knew him, many of my other friends also knew him. I feel so awake now!
He didn't propose, not really. One day we just kind of started talking about getting married. And he really wants to buy me a ring, though I insist I won't die without one. However, I wouldn't exactly turn one down, either
