Happily even after.

I suppose I should say a bit about M... and our relationship. It's a funny, karmic story.

20+ years ago (ouch) we were in university together. He and I were the only students specializing in our area of Fine Arts. We were also the only two who ended up winning the bursaries to work in our specialty. We spent almost every single day together for the last two years of my undergraduate degree - both in classes and working on a variety of projects.

I adored him as a friend... and more, but I figured he was just my friend. He was everybody's friend. He was a dark-haired, broad shouldered, brilliant and wickedly funny rebel - complete with a leather jacket and motorcycle. The only problem was he was shy - insanely shy.

Silly me, I interpreted that as being not interested.

M saw me "always" surrounded by guys and figured I wouldn't be interested in dating him - with my "entourage" and all (eye roll). He didn't realize most of those males I was spending time with were either friends or were not interested in me in a romantic sense, we were just friends.

So M and I ran circles around each other and never connected romantically. After 2 years I went off to grad school and M went off to his career... and we lost touch.

We both regretted not being in contact any more - we both missed our friend.

One day, years later, M ran into my sister. They hung out for a bit and he learned that I had recently become a single mom. I was so reluctant to meet anyone, I was tired and hurting emotionally. I thought that being a single mom was a dating "death sentence" - that no man would want to get involved with a woman and her kids.

I was wrong.

M never gave up, he just kept in contact and eventually I gave in and we met up again. We went out the first time as "just friends", but all it took was for him to take my hand (to guide me through a crowd) and I knew (and he knew) we were going to be more than friends.

We've been together for 18 months more than 2 years... and counting.

M loves being a Dad to the kids, and he's brilliant at it. We're both still head-over-heels, and we have so much in common it's obvious we were made for each other.

I guess we could say we're living happily even after.