Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter One: A Love as Bright as the Stars

"Do you, Bride, take this man, to be your lawful wedded husband, to love, honor, and cherish him through sickness and in health, through periods of tranquility and difficulty, till death do you part?"

"I do"

Who would have known that those two words would be the ones to seal my fate.

...

Even in my earliest memories I can recall pretending to get married. Whether it be at school playing house with my friends, or at home with my dolls, marriage and the entire concept as a whole had me entranced. I dreamed daily of the prince that would rescue me from my high tower and save me from any and all hardships in life.

The idea that someone out there was perfect for me, and through some type of magic, fate or otherwise, would bring me and the man of my dreams together at last. It carried me through every level of school, to every point where things felt as if they'd become too much. I just had to think of my future lover who was out there waiting for me. I didn't know him or who he was, but I had already loved him with all of my heart.

I dreamt of a love as bright as the stars, maybe one even brighter than the sun! One where I'd never feel alone, sad, or hopeless. I'd have him, my knight in shining armor, the protector of my heart and our family... Oh, a family, what a wonderful thought. Raising children with the love of my life was also something I'd always desired as a young girl. I had a beautiful collection of baby dolls that always had me feeling just like what I'd assumed my own mother felt with me, love, just like that love I carried in my heart for him.

Some might have called me love sick, but I disagree, I'm just someone that knows what path they want to pursue in life. I won't go off and say that I never had a crush on a guy that wasn't the one for me. I mean, I sure thought they could have been until they rejected or left me all alone again. 'It's okay, I'll be okay, and I'll find him someday' were the thoughts that filled my head and heart after each failed relationship, it was comforting and true! All I needed was patience and I'd find the keeper of my heart, I knew he was there, and maybe I did fall for those other men too easily, maybe I just ignored any red flags for the sake of finding my love.

By the age of 20, I'd wanted to give up on searching for the guy of my dreams, patience was never really my strong suit even though I knew that I needed it, that was until I found Him.