I MARRIED BOTH BROTHERS

When Samantha Wilson, 52, suffered heartbreak, she didn’t look far for a second chance at love

- FRANCES LEATE, JACK FALBER

Knocking on the front door, I suddenly felt a bit nervous. But as soon as it was opened by the tall, dark-haired man, his beaming smile put me at ease instantly. ‘Samantha? I’ve not seen you in years! How are you?’ Adrian grinned.

It was 1987, and I’d heard that Adrian, my childhood best friend, had recently moved back to the area, so I thought I’d pop by and surprise him. As 12-year-olds, we’d been inseparable. I’d loved hanging around with him and his four brothers, riding our bikes in the local fields and listening to ABBA and Queen on our record players. Only, as we’d got older, we’d drifted apart.

Now in his mid-20s, Adrian had married and separated, and I was a single mum to my 18-month-old son. As we caught up in Adrian’s living room, over a cup of tea, we reminisced about old times. ‘It’s been so lovely to see you,’ Adrian said when I left a few hours later. And it really had been.

After that, Adrian and I began seeing each other more and, soon enough, we realised we had feelings for each other. It felt natural to become a couple.

Two years later, in February 1989, I gave birth to our daughter. We were blissfully happy and, in April 1991, we got married, surrounded by our families.

‘Welcome to the family,’ his younger brother Glynn said after the ceremony.

While Adrian worked as a quantity surveyor, I was a stay-at-home mum. Only, with both the children in school, I was restless at home on my own and began to resent Adrian as he became increasingly wrapped up in work.