I met Michael ten years ago at a mutual friend’s birthday party.
It was quiet, attentive and reliable. I always remembered what kind of coffee I liked, I called when I was late, and when I was with him, I felt like I finally found a man who could dress up in the family.
A year later, we moved in together.
Family
A few years later we bought a house in a quiet neighborhood.
Due to Michael’s poor credit history, the mortgage was registered in my name only. I have also paid most of my own contribution.
But I never said, “This is my home.”
To me, it was our home.
We set up a joint account, paid the bills together, made a renovation, adopted a dog from a shelter and gradually created the life I dreamed of.