The Wife and Children That Never Existed There was a version of my life where you were my wife Not in reality Not on paper Not in promises But in my mind completely I imagined waking up next to you years from now. I imagined small arguments about silly things. I imagined laughing in the kitchen. I imagined you calling me by my name in a softer way than anyone ever has. I imagined protecting you. I imagined working hard, becoming successful, building something big just so I could say, You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m here I imagined children A daughter who had your calm eyes A son who had your quiet strength. I imagined holding them and thinking, She gave me this life I imagined school meetings Family photos Festivals together Growing old beside you I imagined everything But here is the truth that hurts the most You never agreed to any of it You never said you wanted that life with me You never promised to be my wife You never dreamed those children ...
You said something to me that has stayed with me more than anything else: “You deserve better.” You didn’t say it cruelly. You didn’t say it angrily. You said it softly—like someone trying to shield another person from pain. And for a long time, I accepted it without question. But silence has a way of transforming gentle words into heavy thoughts. Because if I truly deserved better, I kept wondering— Why was that “better” never you? Choosing isn’t compromising I never saw you as a compromise. I never stayed because I was afraid of being alone. I didn’t choose you out of habit, convenience, or weakness. I chose you deliberately. I chose your peace. Your stillness. Your careful distance. Even the parts of you that didn’t open easily. When you say I deserve better, it sounds kind—but it also sounds like a quiet way of backing away without saying so. As if I was worthy of care, but not worthy of choice. What love meant to me Love, at least the way I experienced it, was never about comparin...