CB and I met through an online dating service. She sent a wink around the end of May or first of June 2004. We emailed and then used Yahoo messenger live chat to talk to each other. We set up a date toward the last part of August.

We met at a restaurant after the lunch rush. Neither one of us remember what we ate. We talked for about three hours. When nature started calling we both got up to use the restrooms.

After coming back to the table, she told me she was in severe pain. She needed to go to the hospital. Then asked me to drive her to her apartment so she could pack a bag for the hospital. I have to admit that at first I thought I was being dumped. But, you don't get dumped by helping some one pack up to go to a hospital.

She was in the hospital for about ten days. I left several messages for her and emails. The one that got her attention was asking her for another date.

On the next date she took me to Greenville, Ohio. Showed me the museum they have there. Unfortunately we were too late to go in. So she took me to meet her youngest daughter. That was a bit of a mind blower. She referred to me as second date Tom.

I don't remember exactly when it was. I was going to her place after getting off work one night. I had a wild thought that I should get a ring for her. So I stopped along the way and got a promise ring for her. When I arrived at her place she had plans for the two of us to go to a little road side chapel in the morning. She wanted to pledge ourselves together at the chapel. I then produced the ring. What a coincidence!

It took a while to really understand just what her medical condition is. It wasn't until going with her to her many doctors that it really sank in. I never looked at them as a liability. I figured it was like this. If we were already married and she had these problems I would still be with her. It wasn't a reason to bail out.

Do to her financial situation we couldn't get married right away. I couldn't afford to pick up the medical tab that all her doctors have if we got married. She had to get her disability approved by Social Security.

She moved in with me to take the load off of her family that were helping her pay for her day to day expenses. Once the disability was approved we could then get married.

We got the notice about two weeks after the hearing in front of the judge. That meant Medicare would pick up all but 20% of her medical bills. With that we made plans to get hitched.

Now getting married isn't such a hard thing. We made an appointment with the city clerks office to get married. Got one of her friends to stand as a witness. The day came and we all went to the clerks office. The clerk wasn't in but, was expected back within a few minutes. So we stood out in the hall looking at the many pictures posted about Richmond. Soon the clerk came out with the papers and asked if we wanted the ceremony or just to sign the papers. We just signed the papers. Our witness almost went into shell shock.

When the back pay finally came in we started planing a wedding with a minister and our families. That happened two months late. Now that is the date we celebrate as our anniversary.

The thing that has made this marriage work is that we work at it each and every day. I don't take her for granted, never will. We have had our problems. We talk them out and make a plan to solve them.

Now I have always been a romantic. I wake up every day thankful that she is in my life. I get a tingle of excitement just coming home from work knowing she is there for me. I know that I do things that irritate her at times. She does me. Usually it is something little. I don't dwell on it. I just go on enjoying her.

I have never loved or felt love more than I have since I have been with her.