ABSTRACT
Two brief personal essays, drawn from the author’s blog (realisticallyeverafter.blog), reflect on maintaining a loving partnership between spouses for over 25 years. In addition to how ideas about romance change over time, the author considers the realities of being a person with a disability whose experience of her body is significantly impacted by cancer and chronic illness. At times, the author needs her romantic partner’s assistance with decidedly unromantic problems, such as coping with a stomach flu. The author also explores the topic of not wanting to have children, despite being in a stable marriage and being able to afford them.
