5 Couples Share the Moments That Almost Broke Them—but Didn’t
“One night we got into one of our worst fights yet—about the same damn thing. I was balling my eyes out because I knew it was the end. I told him I couldn’t play this game anymore of hoping he’d want to raise a family. I went into the bedroom, started packing my stuff, and took off. I went to my best friend’s apartment for the night and cried myself to sleep. Instead of calling me nonstop and begging me to come home, he kept totally quiet.
“I knew had to make a decision: either give up the man I knew as the love of my life or stick it out with him and chance the possibility of having a childless life.”
“When I woke up in the morning to puffy eyes and tear-soaked tissues, I knew it was over. Then someone knocked on the door. I yelled, ‘Who is it?’ and, sure enough, Rich opened the door with a bouquet of my favorite flowers. He had texted with my friend and begged her to give him keys to her apartment so he could surprise me. He looked like a wreck—his eyes nearly as puffy as mine. ‘If you want kids, I want kids,’ he told me. And he proceeded to tell me a bunch of other incredibly sweet things, none of which I can really recall. I genuinely can’t express the feeling I felt at that moment, but it was pure bliss. He proposed to me six months later, and I’m proud to say we’re now parents of a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old.” —Daria N.
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2. “Social Media Almost Tore Us Apart.”
“When my husband and I got married, he knew I had guy friends who were strictly platonic friendships. I guess he thought I would cut them off after walking down the aisle—but I didn’t. He would see on Instagram that I was liking and commenting on my guy friends’ photos and would get really pissed off. We had multiple fights about it and I always stood my ground because I felt like I was doing nothing wrong. Then I’d take to Facebook and post about how I was tired of people getting in my business.
“When he’d see these posts, he’d blow up even more and tell me not to blast our drama on social media. I didn’t agree, so it got to the point where I would delete his comments and block him from my stuff. I later found my ex-boyfriend on Instagram—a guy I was completely sprung over at one point—and decided to add him. Since my husband couldn’t see my Instagram posts, I thought I had nothing to worry about—until one night. It must have been midnight and I was sleeping when I heard him get up and get dressed. I asked where he was going and he said, ‘I’m leaving you.’ When I asked why, he responded with ‘You added your ex on your Instagram, go be with him.’ He left for the night and I felt terrible. I didn’t even know he could see my Instagram page. The next day we made up and I deleted my ex. Now I only like his pics once in a blue moon…LOL.” —Erin C.
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3. “It Was Him vs. the Cat.”
“This isn’t one of my proudest admissions in life, but it’s true. My boyfriend of eights months and I had just moved in together when we decided to get a pet. He was hell-bent on getting a cat, but I hated them. I grew up with two dogs and stayed far away from any feline I came across. I ran through a list of almost any other animal—a rabbit, a hamster, a frog, you name it. Then one St. Patrick’s Day, we both got drunk at the bar and found ourselves standing across the street from an ASPCA. Big mistake. Fast forward two hours and we’d left with a cardboard box filled with an orange tabby. We named him Creamsicle.
“My disdain for cats disappeared pretty quickly. I had never known them to be friendly, playful, and so stinking cute. Creamsicle stole my heart. My maternal instincts must have kicked in because I had to hold, cuddle, or at least be next to this little kitten at all times. At first my boyfriend was ecstatic that I was loving this cat, but that quickly turned into this strange jealousy. Every time I was lying down with Creamsicle, he’d move him off the couch and sit in the cat’s place. Then he wouldn’t let Creamsicle sleep in the bed anymore (after he’d been doing it every night since we got him).
“At first my boyfriend was ecstatic that I was loving this cat, but that quickly turned into this strange jealousy.”
“One weekend morning, things all came to a head. He told me he felt ignored in his own apartment and threatened to get rid of the cat. I just started laughing hysterically until he started to do the same. I gave him a giant hug and apologized for making him feel that way, even though it was so ridiculous. I knew that making him feel bad for how he was feeling would only make things worse, so I promised him I would pay more attention to him and a little less to the cat. It’s been four months and things are totally fine between us. The cat sadly no longer sleeps with us, but we’ve been having way more sex, so I’m not complaining!” —Jenna M.
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4. “We Had to Learn Not to Bring Each Other Down.”
“Last winter, my boyfriend and I were both struggling with depression individually and both relying on each other for support. It was winter, I was beginning a new job, and he was finishing up a semester in school. It was a stressful time for us both. Because we liked to support each other, we would air out these difficulties at the end of the day, at the beginning of the day, and all day long to one another. It was hard for me to deal with my problems and his problems, and the same was true for him. There was not as much appreciation for what we had, just a focus on all the negative.
“During this time, neither of us were able to describe ourselves as happy. Naturally, we wondered if our relationship was the culprit. He’s an artist, so he wrote a story that brought to attention some of these issues. After reading it, it was time to address our problems. Instead of quitting, we wanted to try to work through things together. We decided to stay together but give each other more space. This decision fueled a healthy time of self reflection for the both of us and a time that allowed us to learn to deal with our problems independently and not rely on one another. Afterwards, we were able to regroup and be happy together again.” —Danielle R.
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5. “Our Religious Connection Saved Our Marriage.”
“My wife and I had many differences, so when we got engaged, my mother felt it was important to bring us to fortune tellers, psychics, feng shuis, you name it. All said we were a bad match. It was true. We disagree in our love life, how we handle our finances, how we communicate to one another and to others, even how we enjoy a meal. I started to wonder how we fell in love in the first place. Out of frustration, I almost gave up and walked out. She knew it was coming. She begged me to stay at least until that night’s church sermon. I agreed and sat by her side through the sermon.
“Oddly enough, our pastor spent the evening preaching about husband-wife connections and how it was not this romantic, heart-fluttering experience we all grew up thinking it would be. It was truly an amazing speech and started to put my anxiety about our relationship at ease. After that night, I decided to stay. I did not know how I would feel in a week, month, or year, but I knew my place was beside her. I truly feel that my religion saved my marriage.
“I learned to love my wife, care for her as if she was the only one I had, which is true, and we’ve never looked back. Four kids later, I love my wife today more than the day I married her. We’re not perfect, by any means. I have things my wife has to learn to live with, and vice versa. It’s a progress, not a ‘happily ever after.’ However, it’s like a marathon, you strive and strive to do what you know ought to be done, we fatigue, and we stress at times. But at the end of each day, each week, each month, it’s all well worth it.” —Thomas N.