Mark and I had been together for six years. We lived in the same house, shared household expenses, planned our holidays together, and knew almost everything about each other’s daily routines.
Our friends often assumed we were married.
Sometimes, even I forgot that we weren’t.
There was only one thing missing.
A wedding ring.
Whenever the subject came up, Mark always found a reason to postpone the conversation.
The first time I asked him seriously, he said work was too stressful.
The next time, he explained that his salary had recently been reduced and that we needed to be financially secure before making such a commitment.
Later, when we moved into our house, he said we should wait until we had settled into the mortgage.
I accepted each explanation because I loved him.
I wanted to believe that he was being responsible rather than avoiding a future with me.
But months turned into years, and the excuses never stopped.
