I can honestly say I dreamed about this kind of love. Did I count on finding it at 40 yrs old? No fucking way…I was DONE with relationships at that point! I was newly single for the first time in over 20 yrs, had just moved into my first apartment, had just begun uniting with friends and begun the journey to find myself all over again. A relationship was the LAST thing I was looking for, and then he said “Excuse me” and everything changed.

Being a bus monitor was part of my job duties and on that warm day in April of 2016 I had a pretty great day. I was walking back to my bus at the bus hub from using the restroom when this bus driver says “Excuse me” as I walk by. I stopped, he attempted small talk, I was polite, then he threw me for a loop saying we should shoot pool and looser buys the 1st drink! WTF! Busses were released and I ran off before he could set anything official up. I had gotten REALLY good shooting down any and all advances coming my way but this wasn’t expected! I mean we were at work for goodness sakes! Then the next day he comes with the famous “Check Yes or No” note asking if I could talk! While consulting with a friend, a “Maybe” box was drawn, checked, and handed back to him the next day. Again he caught me off guard and a plan for a phone call happened. During the phone call, plans for a walk were set in place. And so it began…

The next year was full of denials we were in a relationship, or even seeing each other for that matter. Promises to not fall for each other were broken and so were hearts when it was decided to back off a couple of times so he could make sure his 5 kids were ok. It was important that their feelings about what was happening were taken care of and those stepping back moments had to happen. But truth was, we HAD fallen hard for each other within the first couple of months but just wouldn’t admit it to each other or ourselves. Divorces were finally finalized for us both and then we used the “relationship” word for the 1st time while making us FB official, even tho everyone was like “DUH GUYS! YOUR THE ONLY ONES WHO DON’T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING!”

The next few years brought me medical issues that scared the living crap out of us. Shortly before they began and I knew I wasn’t feeling right, he proposed to me with a Peach/Mango Dum Dum sucker. Then followed it by dropping down on one knee at the same cliff I sat on a year prior and admitted to myself that I did in fact love him. We didn’t jump into a marriage. I admit I was scared and the many times he came up with ideas to just walk to the courthouse, I came up with reasons why it was a bad idea due to our incomes being combined and him possibly loosing benefits for the kids. (Even tho he had done checking on that and swore it would be ok) I was scared to jump. Until the first week of December 2019, when I was awakened to so many truths and falsehoods about my life.

We planned a quick wedding for Christmas Break which turned into an actual planned out wedding thanks to everyone in our lives who has supported our silly relationship! We literally did minimal work and everyone just made our day magical with one kind act after another. It was the perfect evening, with the perfect people in attendance, the perfect people standing with us, all our kids involved, and my grown son handing me over to the perfect man while the song “Perfect” played on a blue tooth speaker. It was the “Chris and Kris Show” and we did nothing traditional. It was OUR day and we made the rules. I had never felt love the way I felt it when he turned to see me as I walked toward him. THIS was what I had always dreamed of, yet never expected it.

Our relationship in a nut shell is based on laughter, communication, trust and support. We laugh more than I have ever laughed with another human aside from my best friend Devin who I have known my entire life. He is always clear about his thinking and nothing is swept under the rug. He trusts my decisions for our family and I trust his. I trust him with my entire being. He is the most honest man I have ever met and trust is easy. We support each others dreams, passions, goals, ideas, and are willing to do anything to help each other. Our relationship isn’t perfect, we fuck up a lot. We also forgive those mistakes and move on as a stronger couple. He is everything I never knew I needed and I felt he deserved a proper introduction on my blog. See, he is my #1 fan, my adventure buddy, my photographer, and my soul mate. So chances are, he will come up in one of these posts and needed a backstory! Lol

I am so grateful that this man talked to me on that Spring day and looking back still gives me butterflies in my tummy. I love how we are, who we are, and look forward to what comes next. I love you Chris Benabise, my husband.