I was dating someone on and off for about 9 years. We both had our issues, and we worked hard at resolving them, grew apart at times, but always seemed to find our way back to each other. Our families both believed we would eventually marry and live happily ever after, etc.
We were getting our careers started finally, I had nearly completed my CDL training after deciding I did not want to pull wrenches for the rest of my life, and she was 1 year from her degree in speech pathology. One very cold winter night she was cleaning snow and ice from her car to make a run to the store for cigarettes when the person who lived next door to her in the apartment block came at her with a pistol and shot her 5 times at close range. The coroner's report made it clear that she was dead in a matter of seconds. I went into a very dark place for several years, all I did was drink and work, went back into mechanics because I didn't trust myself to be on the road.
Fast forward about 6 years, and I met someone who was a bit offbeat, and we hit it off immediately. We were married 2 years later, but the relationship went bad when she started to cheat. I was working nights, had little choice as I was in a new career, starting at the bottom, she didn't like being alone. I sent her packing when I found out, and after 2 or 3 days realized that I was far better off without her, and that there had been nothing between us for probably 2 years by then.
About 3 months after I kicked her to the curb, I met a wonderful woman who is smart, funny, drop dead gorgeous, likes cars, loves dogs, and somehow found me attractive. That was almost 15 years ago now, and while we have had our share of disagreements, there is no one else I can imagine wanting to spend whatever time I have left with.