I started dating my best friend when I was 16 and we married when we turned 18. I was never in love with him, but he was kind and stable and, coming from a difficult home life, I was content.

When I was pregnant with my third child, a series of disasters hit our family and forced us to start life over again. We dealt with these issues separately and eventually they overwhelmed us. I am now remarried, and I have regained the easy friendship I had with my ex before we started dating.

My husband knew about my relationship with my ex when we married, and he’s fine with it. In fact, he also gets along with my ex, and the three of us share major holidays and spend time with the children together.

I was very close to my ex’s family when we were married–his mother treated me like a daughter and I still love her. She now lives about 18 hours away and is remarrying. My ex and I had plans to drive up together with the children to be a part of this important event.

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