My parents urged me to be patient when I told them I didnt love Sarah and begged me to wait. How did my waiting end?
Marrying Sarah felt like a waking nightmare. She was demanding, loud, and yet my father had chosen her for me. Hed spotted his old friends daughter and decided wed be perfect together. Since I had no other sweetheart and was already thirty, I had no choice but to marry. Sarah took charge of everything in our marriageevery detail had to align with her plans and whims. According to her schedule, our first child arrived, then the second.
Life carried on, full of hardship and setbacks. There were countless dark moments that turned it into pure misery. I grew to resent my wife, my children, and even clashed bitterly with my father-in-law. I never imagined Id endure it without divorce.
My mother always stood by me, though both she and my father insisted I simply wait and stay patient. It was as if they knew something, having lived their years, certain Id understand the truth with time.
And so, the children grew up and left home. Im still with Sarahweve grown accustomed to each other, found harmony, and now I cant picture life without her. Financially, things are stable enough. At last, we share a quiet happiness, turning our days into something almost dreamlike. Were both healthy, want for nothing, love one another, and have no real worries. Everything is as it should be. Its been ages since weve had cause to complain. Sometimes, late in the evening, Sarah hums that old song from our wedding day, and I find myself smiling without meaning to. The house feels lighter now, filled with the kind of peace that comes not from passion, but from deep, quiet knowing. I still think of what my mother saidthat patience isnt surrender, but trust in times gentle hand. And now, looking at Sarah across the dinner table, her hands folded around her tea, I finally understand what she meant.
