My Age is a Secret

I was exceedingly nervous for a good reason eight years ago because that was our wedding day. Grant's family planned the wedding surprisingly quicker than I had anticipated, but as it turned out, any choices I thought I could have was out of my hands.

Having been married and divorced before, trust in myself had suffered a crushing blow. Grant was also divorced. We were both looking for the same thing in a relationship, love, trust, and honesty, the difference being is we both suffered abuses and needed a safe place to lay our heads.

The day we met was not what you would call "normal" as I lived on the other side of the world from Grant. The way we communicated wasn't even traditionally popular back then. We met online in a virtual world with avatars, which reflected the way we wished we could be; young, slim, good-looking, and incredibly talented. This world was where fantasy was allowed and encouraged, and meeting people was a safe place to interact with anyone and without inhibitions.

The very moment we met as an avatar was purely accidental. The virtual world was a vast and exciting place where bumping into each other was almost impossible to do. This particular day after teleporting to a deserted island, I noticed a male avatar dancing by himself. I laughed hysterically in the real world, knowing he had forgotten to stop the dancing before teleporting. I messaged him to let him know what I could see, and of course, he didn't believe me because he wouldn't see himself dancing; it seemed to be a glitch in the program. I then took a screenshot and sent it to him. We both laughed and started a light conversation agreeing to meet again on another day.

A few days went by without contact, but I was curious, so I went online again to see if he was there. He was. After many months of meeting up with our avatars, we decided to email each other in the real world. The first encounter was rocky because Grant introduced himself with someone else's name. It took me a little while to trust him again, but I understood his reasoning; it was to protect himself from being "cat-fished," although I was truthful, I thought he was truthful too.

So now you're wondering, what does my age have to do with this story, right? After many more months of emailing and sending songs and pics, we decided to go to the next level and video chat. Has anyone ever sat on the edge of a high building or cliff and felt the pull of falling? That's what we both felt but went ahead anyway. It turned out better than expected. It was like being home with each other.

Those video days brought us closer together, but the distance between us was a problem. We had to decide, do we continue and see where it goes, or do we end it because the time zone affected our sleep?

After four years of online communication, we finally arranged to meet in real life and go from there. It was hard because I knew I was older, and I also knew I would have to let him know how much older I was. I flew to his country with plans of staying for two weeks, and when I disembarked from the airplane, I saw him standing there with a huge grin; it was love there and then.

Grant saw a woman looking younger than I was, and he looked more mature than he was. Together we looked perfect even with the 17 years difference. He told me much later that when we walked hand in hand along the beach together, he would watch other people's reaction; he said there was none. He said he felt secure and positive we were meant to be.

After returning home, we traveled a few more times to see each other, and on the visit to my country, he proposed. Just months later, I packed my bags and joined him in my new overseas home.

I don't know why my age was such a problem for me but telling his family might have been a wedge in our marriage. I even asked the Bishop to place a piece of paper over my birth date when witnesses signed their names.

To this day, they still don't know our secret, and to this day we love each other dearly.

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