The boy next door...

Everyone has a love story. My love story began 19 years ago when I met a shy boy who happened to live next door to me. There was something about him that made me stop dead in my tracks. He would enter a room and the air would suddenly become heavy. He never said one more word than necessary, but when he opened his mouth he was funny and smart and witty. He also never seemed to pay too much attention to me!
Fast forward 19 years and you'll find that the boy next door, in his cubs hat, his sockless shoes and his funny glasses is now the man who kisses our babies good night, leaves a high mountain of clothes in our bedroom without hanging them up and cooks 95% of every dinner we eat. I'm not sure how to explain exactly how much I love him. He still carries himself with this certain air of mystique and swagger. I still look at him sometimes, when he doesn't notice me staring and can think back on how I would stare at him those 19 years ago wondering what he would do if I hugged him or kissed him.
He's so much more than my husband and my best friend... he's as much a part of me as my arm is. We've grown up together, done stupid things together, cried together and laughed till our faces hurt. He has exceeded every single expectation I had of him... as a husband, a father and a friend.
Some people are scared of dying, others are scared of being pennyless... I'm simply afraid of losing HIM because he is my entire life. So how do I get him to understand that? How do I get him to comprehend that when he walks out of the house I say a little prayer to God, asking him to please bring him back home safely to me.
I hope he knows I was born to be his wife. That I want to take care of him, solve his problems, do things to make him smile and be someone he can be proud of. He makes me better every day and there is no possible way I could love him any more.
I hope my kids get a love story just like this one... and that they know that the best present I could ever give them is their dad. Who I chose for them and who I love because he gave them to me.
Happy Valentine's Day... not just today but every day.