My Wife & Me
Not long ago, a friend asked me, “How are you and Addison doing? How’s married life?” I took a moment to think about it because I didn’t want to just give some canned answer like “We’re good.” An important question about my life deserved more than that. So I really thought. Then answered: ”Quite frankly, we’re amazing. I just feel incredibly whole with her. Like I’ve found a true partner. I can’t tell you how perfect it feels to be with her. What’s that cheesy movie that says ‘you complete me?’ Well, that’s her. She completes me.” My friend commented back nicely—a kind of “That’s great” response—but I found myself going on and on. I couldn’t stop. “I am so at peace with Addison. We don’t fight often. And when we do, we make up quickly, realizing that it just isn’t worth it to keep arguing. We talk about everything; I think it drives people crazy. But really, I tell her everything.” That’s true. Addison and I share everything, from the mundane to the thrilling. And it really does annoy people. I went on (my friend surely annoyed): ”It’s strange; we’re about to celebrate our first married anniversary and the third anniversary of us falling in love, and I can’t really remember a time when we were on shaky ground. It’s like as soon as we got together, I knew we’d stay that way. I’ve never felt that kind of security or stability before.” Again, all true. All wonderfully true. We’ve been through tough times, for sure. Money crises, unemployment, confusion about life in general, fights with our parents, etc. And yet I haven’t doubted that she loves me, that I love her, that we are meant to be together. Most days, we find ourselves actually saying “we’re meant to be together” because we finish each other’s sentences and say the exact same thing at the exact same time. It’s sickening to outsiders. I can imagine my sister gagging while reading this; I am hearing Addison’s mom say, “Oh, gross” in my head. But that’s how we are. And to me, it means I have at least made one right decision in my life. My past (and present really) is littered with bad decisions. But Addison—she’s the best decision I’ve ever made. -Jess
