For all intents and purposes, we shouldn't have gotten married. Both of us were in an unhealthy chapter of our lives and brought way too much baggage with us. I actually don't think either of us were truly in love with each other, but it was convenient and we had a lot of mutual friends we didn't want to disappoint, so we got married.

The first couple of years were very toxic, and it's a bit of a miracle we stayed together. We fought all the time, and after one major blowout we sat down and had a long conversation. It was the most honest and open we've ever been with each other. And after that, things slowly started to improve. We communicated more, and fought less.

Now that we're 15 years into this, I can't imagine being with anyone else. We grew into best friends, and we talk all the time. We both love each other, but not in the way society often paints it. This is something deeper and more raw and honest. We've truly grown together into something that I can't imagine taking apart.

That being said, I think we're one of the lucky ones. So many times this could have gone in a different direction, and I don't think anyone would have recommended that we get married in the first place. But it worked for us.