Don't Tell Me I Can't…Be With A Younger Man

Diane Albertus’ friends might poke fun at her for having a ‘toy boy’, but she couldn’t be happier with her husband, Neil, who’s 11 years her junior.

- Leigh Hermon

My husband, Neil, and I have been together for a blissful 28 years – and married for 25 of them. Just like every other couple, we’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re as committed to each other today as we were on our wedding day. But unlike most couples we know, at the time Neil was arriving for his first day of Grade 1, I’d finished high school and started working! The year that I turned 31, I found myself divorced with two small children, Lincoln and Rochelle. My marriage had come to quite a turbulent end, so meeting someone new was the last thing on my mind.

Over the Easter weekend, my parents went away and asked my younger brother to look after their house but, of course, he had other ideas. The moment our parents left, my brother’s friends started arriving for the party. I’d popped in for a visit so thought I may as well stick around, and that’s the night I met Neil. We ended up sitting on the couch chatting for hours – we really hit it off then and there, and we even shared our first kiss that night.