How It Happened

I was 25 years old when I got divorced. I managed to secure a marriage with Liar that lasted all of one year and three months. In reality, it was unraveling by day eight. However, I stuck it out as long as possible mostly to not have to hear my mother tell me about how she always hated him. I lasted one year. Three months is how long it took to get the divorce over.

I actually locked him out on our anniversary. He called from the office telling me he had to go out with a client and wouldn't be able to make dinner but he'd make it up to me that night when he got home. I'd become very well aware of "dinner with a client" was code for going on a date with another woman. I called friends and they had the locks changed and deadbolts on the door before he got home. Three people stayed all night with me but honestly, Liar didn't put up much of a fight. He tried the locks. I told him it was over. He shrugged and left. I think his lack of caring at that point was harder to swallow then all the rest of the pain.

Six months later, my friend, Paulette, asked if I was ready to date again. I laughed HARD. Dating was about the last thing I had any interest in doing. She called tried again a month later. She had the perfect man for me. I relented. I relented mostly to get her to stop telling me how perfect this man was for me.

Mr. Morton showed up on time with flowers. He opened my car door. He listened to my words. He let me go first. He treated me like a million dollars. We talked for hours that first date. He told me about Paprika and Pepper. I'd be lying if I wasn't freaking out over his children. At the point I met Mr. Morton, he'd been a single parent for seven years. His children were 8 and 9 years old.

We dated for six months before Mr. Morton asked, no begged, me to consider marrying him. Agreeing to be Mrs. Morton II was the smartest thing I've done in my life. Each day I spend with him is the best day of my life. I just wish we'd found each other before there was The First or Liar.

Mr. Morton is my everything.