You meet and things are wonderful. Warmth feels your chest when she calls. You can’t wait to check your email to see her name in your inbox. Suddenly, you find yourself cleaning more often and reviewing your collection of colognes. Music takes on a new meaning as every song seems to speak of your new love. 
She makes you smile when you are unhappy. She helps you to see the other side of the coin. The world that was once black and white now becomes a world full of rainbows. You begin to notice things you passed by thousands of times before. You find that you smile more and more each day. You never knew one person could make you so happy.  She has made you the happiest guy in the world. 
 
Everything about her is right. You smell her scent in the air. You miss her touch when she is away. You imagine her silky skin as you drive. You remember her brilliant smile as you sit at your desk. In meetings, you can hear her laughter. She walks with presence and grace. She almost seems to glide.  She’s sexy beyond belief and has redefined what you knew as physical attraction.  She has an extraordinary mind.  She can debate without argument, she can dissect without criticism, advise without imposing.  She is everything and anything.  
 
She is the one.
 
You are proud that you have committed your life to her. You are grateful to call her you wife.  You awake each morning to an angel lying in your bed.  You smile knowing you don’t deserve this, yet somehow you have it anyway.  You continue to build memories.  You travel together, dinners, movies, weekend drives, museums, art shows, sports, reunions, and so on. Life has never been better. 
 
But then the days begin to quickly turn into months.  The months turn into years.  Sex has become mechanical.  Conversations like text messages.  And arguments have replaced intimacy. 
 
You wake up one morning to a stranger.  She looks like your love, smells like your love, even sounds like your love.  But, it can’t be her.  She’s changed.  She no longer greets you with the morning kiss.  You no longer hear the humming sound of the treadmill.  Heels and skirts have been replaced with sweats and sneakers.  Maybe it’s a dream?   Panic rushes through your body.  She’s speaking to you, but you no longer understand her language. You try to communicate, but she does not seem to understand you either.  Frustrated you begin to yell.  You begin to argue.  She storms away and you look at this stranger with disgust. You call her hurtful names.  She spits them back. 
 
Alone…you wonder what happened. Where did your love go?  The songs have been silenced.  The weekend dinners have been replaced with sportscenter and lifetime.  Laughter is but a memory.  A figment of your imagination.  Sex is but a chore, a burden; one that you struggle through by imaging another woman.
 
Life is bad.  You can’t imagine ever being so unhappy.  On fact, you scarely remember being ever happy!  You struggle through days and dread the drive home. Each day you live through a nightmare, walking around the house in silence.  Each day you pass the pictures of the love you once new.  Why did she leave?  What did you do that was so bad?  Why did she leave this stranger in her place?
 
You and this stranger grow further and further apart. You practically live alone.  Darkness fills your days now.  
Then…a ray of light shines into your life.
 
Suddenly your office hours become later and later; Business trips are plentiful these days and suddenly you are spending more time with “friends from work.”  The new product manager at work is everything you had in your missing love.  She listens to what you have to say.  Her face lights up when you enter the room.  She misses you when you’re gone and never delays in telling you so.  
 
And now, as your wife sits home thinking you are away on business, you lay in bed with your new friend.  And as your wife phones you repeadtly; you ignore the call, as you make passionate love with your new friend.  Wrong or right, good, bad or ugly… with her, you have finally found peace again.  For now…