How long have you been with your SO?

[NNadir]

40. I say 38 years; my wife says 37.

She counts the time we've been married; I count the time since we moved in together.

We'd been good friends for some time; in both cases our living situations had become untenable, so we decided to become housemates, to rent a place together.

I of course, knew for quite some time that I was in love with her, but I hadn't quite worked up the courage to discuss it for fear of losing her friendship.

Finally, after two weeks as housemates we became lovers because finally I couldn't take it anymore and came out with it.

It was a little awkward at first, and she was tentative for a short while, but finally she agreed to try me out, and she's been in the process of "trying me out" for 38 years.

I think she'll stay.

We're still very good friends, besides being husband and wife. Becoming her lover did not, in the end, ruin our friendship.

I am very, very, very, very fortunate.

I haven't been all that easy to love, but, for her, I worked to become a better man.