Last week my darling Ian and me had our first wedding anniversary – a year of marriage, a year of total bliss… I gave him a card that really expresses my feelings: “Still totally dotty about you” – in fact, more and more every day!
We celebrated at our little Italian place on the corner, with a tasty pizza and a bottle of wine; we billed and cooed, we laughed and talked and remembered so many magical moments from that past year…
When he popped the question suddenly last summer, I said ‘YES!’ immediately – I’d secretly been hoping for it already… Even though I’d been through a very unsuccessful marriage earlier on, but I knew THIS would be totally different.
There were people who warned me about the fact that at 70 he’d never been married before; but I knew it would work out fine because I already knew him so well – and, just as his friends had always told him, he just hadn’t met the right girl… And he’s got a lot of wonderful friends, who all welcomed me in their midst immediately!
Likewise, back in Piraeus, my parents of course welcomed Ian with open arms – who wouldn’t love a son-in-law like that?? We have great fun together every time we visit them…
My daughter Marianna, too, has taken to her new stepdaddy a lot; no wonder, since both times she’s visited us in London we’ve been the perfect tourist guides, taking her to all the interesting sites, from Greenwich to Westminster to London Eye!
My darling husband and me had a most wonderful summer holiday this year ourselves: up in Scotland! We explored Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness and had a perfectly quiet and romantic time on the Outer Hebrides – the weather wasn’t exactly warm, but so much the better for cuddling…
As for our everyday life both in London and in Athens, it’s simply Heaven on Earth. We’ve got so many common interests, we love our movies and books, and we pass many an evening in the most perfect harmony watching an old film or a couple of quiz shows – or playing a nice board game!
We’re together most of the day – and believe me, dear friends, there’s simply nothing better than being with the one you’d always dreamed of! We do the housework together and share the cooking; Ian’s a fabulous cook, he often does me lovely fish and seafood dishes in his wok for dinner, and also very tasty breakfasts – this morning it was scrambled eggs with okra! But not enough with that, he does the washing-up, too; how’s that for a perfect husband?!
And we also work together: we’ve got our own little indexing business! Ian has been an indexer for years, and he taught me all about it, and last month I did my first index myself. It’s a wonderful thing to work with the one you love!
In short, I can only say I hope each and every one has got as harmonic a life with their partner as us, dear friends – and if you haven’t found the guy or gal of your dreams yet, never give up hope! It’s never too late, neither at 45 nor at 70…
Roberta Franklin 