The truth is, I'm a single mom of five, I work-from-home, and my parents are still at home with me. I have a long-time friend, he's my youngest's godfather, and I never thought we would end up like this. We became friends-with-benefits even though I knew he had a partner and children. At first, I tried to avoid him because I didn't want to ruin his family and ours, but he wouldn't stop. He kept making me feel bad, and it got to the point where he said he was serious about me and that he was leaving his partner.
The day came when his partner found out everything. He was kicked out of their house and forced to move in with his relatives. That's when we became closer. His ex and my aunt helped him get an opportunity to work abroad, and he accepted it. Even though he was far away, he made sure to update me regularly so that I wouldn't have any doubts. He would also come home to help my children. But even then, I still felt the weight of the situation because he and his partner kept fighting. He was still being harassed, and the woman was hoping that they might get back together.
It wasn't easy for me either. One day, his ex's mom even messaged me, blaming me for ruining their family. I just didn't answer because I knew to myself that he didn't cheat, and more importantly, I wasn't the reason they broke up. What they didn't know was that his ex was with another man, and they had been having problems for a long time before I even entered my husband's life.
Now, it's come to the point where my partner wants us to move in together and get married. He's legal and he's doing everything he can to be a part of my life and my children's. I also think about the woman, because they've been together for seven years but he hasn't even proposed to her. Now, we've only been serious for a few months, he wants me to marry him. There are times when I want to let him go to give them a chance to fix things, but he chooses to stay with me. He's the one who made the effort, he's the one who fights, and he's also the one who shows that he's willing to fix our relationship even when it's difficult.
I don't know if I'm really wrong, but in my heart, I know the love and effort he gives me is different. It's hard to decide, but I prefer to listen to what's true and who's really fighting for me and my children.
