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’.
Denne historien er fra February 10, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN - UK.
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Denne historien er fra February 10, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN - UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EAT WELL (even on a budget) - Easy meals that make the most of your store cupboard, and won't break the bank
Courgette and pesto pasta
The CATCH
The house was perfect - so why was it so cheap?
Elizabeth and THE RAIN
She had made Lisa's life a misery- and now she was back
I won't stop taking my daughter out of school... - TO GO TO THE BEACH!
One mum tells us why fun, spontaneous days are sometimes more important than being in the classroom
Where's the JUSTICE?
Catherine Wardle's son died over a senseless Snapchat spat
Fat-shamed BY MY MUM
Gemma Hall, 28, showed off her snaps and got a dose of tough love
Fighting for SURVIVAL
When Danielle Camilleri collapsed at 40, the diagnosis was devastating
Finding love AFTER LOSS
As Kelsey Parker moves on after losing her husband Tom, we investigate how difficult it is to find love again in widowhood
Phil's revenge
Phillip Schofield is back on our screens after a 16-month hiatus and it seems it's all-out war between the former presenter and ITV.
'I'm too scared TO HAVE SURGERY'
Christine Lampard on gratitude, staying in shape and date nights with husband Frank.