The world's most amazing man!

My husband - the world's most amazing man. There is no other man in the world who would put up with me. Not one. Well, my dad did for 26 years then was very happy he could pass on the responsibility to Andrew.

I'll start at the very beginning. We met in the summer of 2001 in Italy. A holiday romance. Him from Kent and me from Staffordshire (UK). We'd both travelled with a friend and both friends said it wouldn't work. We lived too far apart and we wouldn't see each other. Well, they were wrong. For the next 2 years, for every weekend apart from 2 we took it in turns to use Virgin Rail (don't get me started on them!) and we saw each other - went to the theatre, cinema, for a meal, to a park. Then, as we realised we would marry, we went nowhere, trying to save up for our wedding.

We got engaged the following summer on a beach in the south of France. Then Andrew moved up to Staffordshire in the Easter of 2003 and we bought our little house. Andrew stayed with friends until our wedding day as we didn't want to live together until we married. Everyone thought our wedding night was in a hotel. Hehe - 'twas in our new house. Then we set off on our honeymoon for a week in Cornwall. Again, everyone thought it was 2 weeks but we wanted a week together in our new house before Andrew returned to work. As a teacher, I had a couple of weeks left.

During those 2 years, Andrew put up with a lot. I hated him being so far away, especially as it got closer to our wedding. I lived with my parents and he with his so we didn't get much time alone. We talked on the phone for 2 hours every night. Then it started. The self harming. I'd done it at uni but it came back with a vengeance as I was so lonely and in a job where I was bullied. Andrew, bless him, texted me and rang me throughout the day. He even made me a little bag to carry in my handbag with a picture of him, a prayer card, some sweets, etc to keep me going.

After our wedding, I had horrible nightmare's about him leaving me for someone younger, slimmer, etc. He wouldn't, though, as I'm his one and only girlfriend.

Fast forward and two bouts of depression, tons of infertility problems, adoption and being diagnosed with clinical depression later and he's still with me. We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago and he still holds me when I cry. He still rings me every lunchtime. He still supports me when I make the wrong decisions or spend money we don't have. He even made me a card for our anniversary this year - not bad for a man who is not arty in any way and hates craft with a passion.

Mills & Boon UK asked a question on twitter today. Why do you like romance books? I love them because they help me escape from my mundane life. However, there's no hero like my husband. If I were to write a romance novel it would be our story - only 8 years together but more than enough romance in there to bring a tear to your eye.