5. Out of Time: Will You Marry Me, for Sure This Time?

My daughter Kim caught an immediate flight to Utah and drove me home. I was a complete wreck, a limp rag. I downed some valium and slept through the drive home. Over the next four weeks I cried, prayed, begged, slept, threw up, threatened, and cajoled. Rob remained stoney silent. Then one day in January, out of the clear blue sky he called me and asked me to come home and marry him. Again. Thrice burned, I asked him to fly to Vancouver and marry me there, with my family. Rob was on a plane in two days, it was like a fairy tale. We were married by my son-in-law on January 13th in a lovely home ceremony. Rob was sure to bring the prenuptial agreement I had agreed to several months earlier, and we signed it at the same time we signed our marriage license.

Finally.... all my time waiting patiently, knowing, just KNOWING he loved me and really, truly wanted me for all time had paid off! We were married and it would last forever. I would live happily ever after with my handsome, darling prince. It was OK that he insisted I abide by his terms of absolute financial submission, after all he made four times as much money as I did. There was no way I'd ever be able to contribute equally to our household, so I was very, very lucky that this man was so gracious as to allow me to live under his wing! I would work very hard to prove my love to him by being a team player, attending all his outings and errands, never asking of anything for myself. Dinner would forever be hot on the table when he walked in the door just like his mom had done for him. His tee's would be bleached, the lawn would be mowed, and I would never, ever say a word about his dirt bike collection. I loved this man more than my own life. I loved him so much it hurt, and I'd give one thousand percent to our marriage.