My husband and I, along with two of his siblings, all get married within a six-month timeframe. A family friend on their side gifts each couple with a weekend marriage retreat. We each go on a separate weekend, and we are now chatting about our time at a family dinner.

Sister-In-Law: “[Husband] and I had dinner at [Restaurant] and then watched [TV Show] at the hotel. What about you guys?”

Brother-In-Law: “[Wife] and I went to [Restaurant] and watched a movie back at the hotel.”

Me: “We went to [Restaurant] for dinner and then window-shopped around the town. Just enjoyed each other’s company.”

Sister-In-Law: “Did you guys watch anything?”

My Husband: “I don’t think we turned on the TV at all while we were there.”

Sister-In-Law: “Really? So, what did you do during the breaks between [Retreat] sessions?”

My Husband: “Err, what do you think a newlywed couple would be doing during their time alone?”

She turned a few shades of red.

My husband works in a coffee shop. On the days he works, if I have nothing better to do, I usually come to sit in the cafe and keep myself busy on my laptop.

One time, a regular sees me playing Pokémon on my phone and strikes up a conversation with me about the game. Sometime later, the regular brings this up to my husband.

Regular #1: “You know that girl who always comes in when you’re working? She’s into Pokémon, too! She seems like your type. You should ask her out sometime. She might say yes!”

Husband: “The one who sits by the pastry case?”

Regular #1: “Yeah!”

Husband: “You’re a few years late; I married her already. That’s my wife.”

Regular #1: *Shocked Pikachu face*

Most recently, I accompany my husband again to the cafe and am browsing Not Always Right while he works. A couple of regular customers come in, and my husband informs them that he’s only going to be there for a few more days before he leaves the country permanently.

Regular #2: “No way! Where are you going?”

Husband: “Australia. My wife is from there.”

He points to me, sitting by the pastry case. The customers turn to look at me. I smile and wave.

Regular #2: “Oh, she’s your wife! I was wondering why she’s always here!”

Regular #3: “I was literally about to suggest to you one of these days that she seems like she has a crush on you and you should ask her out!”

Regular #2: “Yeah, I always thought you two would make a cute couple!”

My husband gestures toward his Pokémon hat and my equally nerdy sweater.

Husband: “Gee, I can’t imagine what could have given you that impression!”

Meanwhile, I was laughing hysterically.

I must admit, though I didn’t need the validation, the idea that random strangers repeatedly want to set me up with my husband is a great way to know I chose the right man!

Back in the early 1990s, my friend and I pick a Friday night to go to a bar reasonably near our college. I’m the designated driver, so I drink nothing but non-alcoholic beverages, but three hours in, my friend is completely sloshed to the point of barely being able to stand. Despite this (or maybe because of it), he and a young lady hit it off, and he ends up going to her apartment with her.

He comes over to my place the next weekend and I ask how things went.

Friend: “Great. I passed out in her car, and when I woke up on Saturday, I was in her bed. She was sitting in a chair next to me with a concerned look. I had the worst hangover ever, and she took awesome care of me. She was very attentive, made sure I got rehydrated properly, and she’s a really good cook. We’ve been on three dates in the past week.”

He pauses for a moment and then adds a thought.

Friend: “If I hadn’t been so drunk I couldn’t see, I would have run screaming away from her in the bar. She’s not skinny and blonde like I normally like ’em. In fact, I’d probably have called her ugly as sin. But no blonde has ever been this nice to me.”

They recently celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary, and they have three wonderful children.

My boyfriend and are closing in on our one-year anniversary. He is very good with his hands and keeps himself happy by always having some project to occupy them. Knowing this, I go out of my way to buy the most complicated modeling kit I can find. It’s of a famous clock tower and has hundreds of tiny, intricate pieces, so I know it will take him a long time to complete.

Our anniversary rolls around and I give him his gift. He is delighted by it. He then presents me with his gift: a pair of socks with a couple of cartoon characters on them. While they are from my favorite cartoon and the gesture is sweet, when comparing them to the modeling kit, I’m unable to keep from looking disappointed. He only seems amused by my reaction.

As I awkwardly thank him for the gift, he asks me:

Boyfriend: “Do you want to know a secret?”

I say, “Sure,” not expecting much.

Boyfriend: “Well, you know how you always have trouble finding clothes that fit?”

I had emergency surgery after an accident that left my torso with an unusual shape.

Boyfriend: “I decided to learn how to knit, sew, and crochet, so now I can make you anything you want. I made those socks in a day.”

Now, I was looking at the socks in amazement. They looked professionally made. He had taught himself how to make professional-looking clothes in less than a year! I think I might have started crying if I wasn’t so blown away.

Last month, my now-husband and I celebrated three years of marriage. For our anniversary, he taught himself metalworking so he could make me authentic items for when we go to the Renaissance Faire.

My anniversary with my husband fell on a weekday this year, and we decided to celebrate it over the weekend rather than try to plan something on a work night. However, on the day of our anniversary, he wanted to surprise me with flowers, so he called the florist the morning of to place an order to be picked up on his way home from work. This is the conversation that occurred as he relayed to me.

Florist: “Hello, how can I help you?”

Husband: “Hello, I’d like to order a bouquet to be picked up today.”

Florist: “Sure. What kind of bouquet do you need?”

Husband: “One with roses and stargazer lilies, please.”

Florist: “No, I mean what level of bouquet? What kind of bouquet do you need?”

My husband is confused, unsure what she means.

Husband: “Um, a nice one? It’s for my wife.”

Florist: “Yes, but what is the bouquet for?”

Husband: “It’s for our anniversary?”

Florist: “Did you forget it?”

Suddenly, it clicks in his mind that the florist thinks he’s in trouble and the flowers are meant to be an apology, and he starts laughing.

Husband: “Oh, no, it’s today; I’m surprising her with flowers.”

Florist: “Oh! Okay, great! Usually, when someone places a rush order, it’s because they’re in trouble. So, you said roses and stargazer lilies?”

The bouquet was gorgeous, and I was very surprised when my husband came home with flowers, but I almost laughed myself to tears at the story that came along with it.