Gill and I met at a work Christmas party back in 1984. We both worked in the Navy, Gill, 22, as an officer’s assistant, me, 21, as a fuel engineer. It sounds like a cliche, but it was as close as you can get to love at first sight. I instantly fell for her infectious personality – she was always making jokes, everyone loved her – and her boundless energy. We wrote letters while I was on deployment, and two years later, in August 1986, we became husband and wife.
After deciding to leave the Navy, we bought a house in Plymouth, and our daughter, Emily, was born in 1989, followed by Georgia in 1993. Though I may have felt apprehensive about becoming a dad, Gill was a natural, guiding me along our journey through parenthood.
She made everything look so easy, from dealing with tantrums to organizing street parties. And when it came to birthdays and Christmases, each one was more magical than the last. She was a super mum.
That's why, in 2015, I knew something was wrong. Gill, then 51, became muddled over words and phrases and she didn’t seem like herself. Back from a holiday that May, she asked me to get her bag from the car. Only, instead of using the word ‘car’, she repeatedly said ‘carton’. At first, I’d thought she was joking. ‘What are you on about?’ I laughed. But she was adamant she was right, that the word was ‘carton’ and not ‘car’.
This story is from the February 10, 2020 edition of WOMAN - UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 10, 2020 edition of WOMAN - UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Your LIFE
Meat-free MEALS Healthy one-dish dinners that make veggies the star
What your GP really thinks about Doctor Google
Looking online for medical insights and advice can be both a help and a hindrance
We've had THE LAST LAUGH!
Once the target of cruel bullying at school, these women are proving the haters wrong with their successful businesses
Easy moves to LIFT YOUR MOOD
Shape up and keep smiling with these simple exercises
The ROYAL INSIDER
KATE IS BACK BEHIND THE CAMERA - BUT IT NEARLY DIDN'T HAPPEN
IS BRIDGET STLL AS RELATABLE as she once was?
We fellin love with her in the noughties, but the weight-obsessed culture has moved on
WHAT A WEEK!
Here's what the stars have been up to in the last seven days
Terminal cancer, BUT HAPPIER THAN EVER
Despite her diagnosis, Jacqui Drake is determined to live the best life she can while also helping others
Simple LOAF CAKES
Three fuss-free sweet treats all made in a 900g tin
SCENIC sailing
Ariver cruise along the Danube Delta is a wonderful way to relax and watch the world float by