I got the man. I had his baby. I have the diamond ring. And soon, I will have his last name too.
There are things I have that no one else ever will. And there are things others had that I never will. Someone else had his first kiss. Someone else had the last dance at homecoming. Others knew the boy I fell in love with when I was fifteen but was too shy to tell. They had the boy. I have the man he became.
I am not as polished and put together as I once was. I wish I had the time to get ready every morning. I love makeup, my friends will tell you my bathroom could pass for a mini beauty store. I love getting my hair done, but now it stays in a messy bun and has not seen fresh color in months. The time I could spend getting ready is spent breastfeeding, changing diapers, and wiping spit up from the floor. Some days I am lucky to brush my teeth before noon.
But he still kisses me. He still tells me I am beautiful. He still loves this body, even though it is not as toned as it once was. This body grew his child. My chest is not the same, but it now feeds his baby, and he loves me for that. I tuck my belly into my jeans and wear one piece swimsuits, yet he still looks at me like I am the most beautiful woman in the world. He loves my body because he helped make it the way it is now.
I am tired most days. The laundry and dishes never end. By nine o’clock I am ready for bed. But he still works hard to support our family. He still encourages me while I finish nursing school. He still comes home to me. He still chooses me.
If I could go back in time and make his past mine, I would. But I cannot. And honestly, I have something even better. I have his future. I have the ring. I have his child, and I will have the rest of our children. Next summer I will take his last name. I will always have his heart, and no one can take that from me.
I love that man more than I have ever loved anyone. He is my partner, my soulmate, my forever. He is my man.