I think we’ve been smug, naive. I always scoffed at "and they lived happily ever after", but somehow I ended up believing it. "Not us", I thought. "We’re stronger than that", we said. 

This isn’t to say that we’re throwing in the towel - not by a long shot. But, it’s certainly been harder than I ever thought, and I can see how marriages could falter. 

We’ve been living apart since November, and it’s starting to really take its toll. I’ve started classes in another city, and he’s still on contract with a job that is causing him more stress and aggravation than what it’s really worth. 

I talk about how hard it is to be married to a chef, how they’re married to both you, and their job, but I never really considered that his work could unravel us. Especially worrisome is the fact that nurses and chefs have two of the highest divorce rates! It’s startling, this realization: the thought that we could come to a point where we aren’t "us", but rather "him" and "me". 

This is probably all hyperbole, and it will all work itself out, but it’s definitely something to be cognizant of. I’m trying to be more thoughtful of our interactions, more caring, more focused. I’m determined - we’ll turn this into "Happily Ever After," yet.