We are Radiant

How we came to be

I do believe I mentioned during my last entry, A Kinder September, that Connor and I were lucky enough to have won a couple's photoshoot with Sarah of The Salty Sea blog. I am overjoyed that I can now share these images with all of you - Sarah is an incredibly talented photographer. She doesn't just capture moments in time, she captures the magic happening within them. There is warmth and feeling within her work that seems far too rare in this world.

I also thought, could there possibly be a better time to finally share the story of how Connor and I came together as dear friends, and eventually a couple? I doubt there could be a more appropriate opportunity.

Connor and I met 8 years ago on DeviantArt, of all places. At that point, we had both been using the site for a number of years to share our artwork but had never stumbled upon one another. Once we found each other, quite by chance, we quickly struck up a close friendship and soon after that talking to Connor became part of my everyday routine.

I had no romantic thoughts towards him at the start - he was simply my best friend who lived in California, and I knew that he was the person I enjoyed talking to the most. We shared everything - within a few months he knew more about me than people who had known me for my entire life. I had never experienced a level of trust  quite like it, and to this day, I still haven't. He was and is my best and dearest friend. Then and now.

Time went on. We still talked everyday and perhaps there was a level of flirtatiousness entering our conversations. Maybe I thought about him a little more. He was on my mind.

One day, I was on the train, lost in thought. When suddenly it struck me: I really wish Connor was here.

Uh oh. I knew it then.

Inside a rain cloud.

Long story short: Yes, I confessed my feelings that same day. Yes, I was too vague. I remember becoming embarrassed when he didn't immediately pick up on my hints, and I changed the subject to something flippant and silly.

Luckily, Connor was fairly persistent and the next day I finally told him how I felt. Thankfully, it was mutual.

He flew out from the US to the UK a year later so we could meet in person. I was so giddy that our first kiss involved me tripping over my own feet and essentially face-planting his chin. It will hardly come as a surprise that I also ruined the moment when he proposed a few years later: we were on top of a mountain in Idyllwild, CA. He popped the question and I immediately vomited due to elevation induced sickness.  At least it makes an amusing story! Also, the Mayor of Idyllwild is a dog (Google it).

Downtown Idyllwild, CA

It is so strange to think that we met quite by chance on a site like DeviantArt, and yet here were are now, as a married couple with a beautiful 14 month old son.

Robin

 I fall more in love with Connor every year. He understands me on a level no one else does, and that only increases as time goes on. The growth of emotional attachment in a long-term relationship is a truly fascinating thing - far more significant than any initial physical attraction. The beauty of age and growth is really understated. I love him more today than I did yesterday, and less than tomorrow.

Our wedding - 2012

I'm with him because we have built layers of memory, trust, love and devotion to one another. It's a deep seated sense of commitment and dedication to a common goal, to preserving the bond that we've built over the years. That is the kind of love we share. Not flashy and exciting, but deep and enduring.

We have history. He knows me deeply, and I know him the same.

Together, we are radiant.