You are the love of my life, the one person I trust implicitly, the man who always has my back. You are strong, courageous and you love deeply. Not a day goes by that we aren't together and you show your affection in countless small ways, like tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, touching my cheek, my arm, swatting and grabbing my ass, cupping my face in your hands and staring deeply into my eyes before you kiss me. I have never met a man like you, so relaxed and so sure of himself. You don’t sweat the small stuff and when I freak, you take me into your arms and hold me tight because you know, that’s all it takes to reassure me.

I’ve fought my own battles for so long, I did not get support from my family, from a former partner, I never had the feeling with anyone that they stood by me, one hundred percent. You give me that feeling every day. You are strong not only physically but you also have a strong character. You’re not a pushover, not with me, not with anyone. You live your truth and if someone doesn’t like it, they can go and live their own lives away from you. I didn’t want to repeat any rude terms here. You are open, considerate, caring, but you don’t have a helper syndrome, you don’t sacrifice yourself, your own happiness to please others.

You have chosen me because I am your happiness. You have chosen me because you like to be with me. You love that I adore and appreciate you. Once we were in a shop and another customer, some man, was rude to me because I didn’t step aside fast enough to let him through. I think that’s what it was, anyway. You nearly punched the guy for speaking to me like this. You would have made him regret for pushing me to the side, your woman, your beloved, if he hadn’t taken off so fast and even dropped his shopping bags in the process, leaving them behind at one step you took towards him.

Not that I like you going around punching anyone. I merely laid my hand on your arm and you calmed. You didn’t pursue him. But you were willing to fight for me, to defend me, to protect me, with words and with deeds. That was at the beginning of our relationship and it was the day I fell in love with you, from 'let’s see how it goes' to 'I trust you with my life'. And unlike all those losers that came before you, you never needed a second chance to make up for anything. The only times you made me cry was when you were so sweet that it moved me to tears out of appreciation, out of love, out of the deepest gratitude because I know how precious you are.

I don’t mind adoring you. I do and I show it. You say I make you feel like a super hero, larger than life, but the truth is, you came into my life as a super hero already. I merely reflect this back to you, who you really are. You tell me you have never been with a woman who so had the hots for you that she was ready to receive your loving after a special look, a touch of fingertips sweeping her neck, a gentle rubbing up on her from behind. But how could they not have seen what I have proof of every single day?

When I stand in the kitchen and look at something on the top shelf, you already reach up for it to get it down for me. You take my plate when you clear yours, you cook with me and sometimes even for me, depending how time allows. You are a friend to my children, a role model and already more of a father than their father ever was. You’re the one I’m proud to be seen with, proud to introduce around to the people I know. You have your own life in order. You didn’t bring a building site into mine.

You are also by far the best lover I ever had. You are the man that makes my soul ache with longing and my body quiver under your slightest touch. I’m pretty small and you’re pretty big and you never are too rough, even though playing rough a little is something I enjoy. I can enjoy a lot of things with you. I can be myself, I can try out new things. And when I make a fool of myself, you laugh with me, not at me. And then you make a fool of yourself, too, like the other night at the karaoke bar. Last winter I was cold outside in the snow and even though I had a coat, you took off yours and wrapped me in it. I spent several days caring for you when you lay in bed with a flu because of it and I loved every minute of showing you how much I care, how grateful I am and how stupid it was of you to insist I’d wear your coat. You said you wouldn’t get sick, you weren’t cold. You wouldn’t take your coat back.

That was the day I understood that you not only live for me, but would even die for me. All you wanted in return was me speaking with you, talking to you, reading to you, because you love to hear my voice. You find it soothing. It envelops your heart like a soft, fluffy blanket. Your words. Words from a man who looks more like a wrestler, a special forces warrior, a super hero. And you are all that and more. But yet, I have never met with greater humanity in a man, never with more love, affection and caring.

And when you lose yourself in me, I feel your need so great, I feel how you need to connect with me at the deepest level, so I open my arms, my heart and my very core to melt into you and we become part of each other. I had never imagined love could be like that. I had never dared to hope a man like you could ever love me. Yet, here we are. And today, you went down on one knee, not only before me, but also the children. You did not merely ask to be my husband, you asked to be a husband, a father, a protector and provider. You asked to be the one to love us and take full responsibility for us, his family, the family of his heart.

I didn’t merely say yes. We all said yes and I vowed that I would show you every day of my life how special he is, how much I appreciate you. And the children cried because they had secretly wanted you to be their father and hadn’t dared to ask. But you asked. You will adopt them on the day of our wedding. You’re our super hero. And even when you mention in all humility that bullets don’t fly off you, to us, you’ll always be, indestructibly, the man, the husband and the father we love. A real man. A modern hero.