>You used to be so full of doubt 

>Never confident, always hesitant 

>You had no idea what you wanted from life 

>Or what life wanted from you, for that matter 

>Failed projects, educations pursued and abandoned 

>All around you were happy couples, but the dating scene was everything but kind to you 

>And as the end of your twenties approached on the horizon, all you really had was a shitty job that gave you a shitty roof above your head 

 

>Spare time? Barely, your job was chronically understaffed 

>When you weren't breaking your body on menial labor you played the same old videogames that ceased being fun a decade ago 

>Sometimes you would get drunk in your tiny apartment, and sit in the window and just stare at the sky, for hours upon hours 

>You would never admit it to anyone, not ever, but you would wish upon the stars for something else 

>Something better 

>Something to look forward to, that wasn't just 40 more years of work and then death 

 

>When someone asked you what you thought of your life, you would always dodge the question 

>Mask your pain with ironic humor, or say something overly cynical 

>It never failed to get a laugh 

>Better that than having people worry about you 

 

>But to yourself you couldn't lie 

>And the answer was always the same 

>Your life sucked, and you had neither the willpower nor the tools to fix it 

 

>That all changed one day 

 

>You had no idea when you walked into your home, groceries in hand, that it was the most important day of your life 

 

>A small, pink envelope sat on your doormat 

 

>Even now, years down the road, you shudder when you imagine what could had been  

>What if you'd just thrown it away? 

>Or put it in the ever increasing pile of junkmail in the closet? 

>Or what, god forbid, if you had read it, and dismissed its content? 

 

>Fortunately, you did neither of those things 

>You read it, and then you read it again 

>And then a third time, just to be sure 

 

>Admittedly, you were never the believing kinda person, so honestly you thought it was some sort of prank 

>But something inside you told you otherwise 

>A nagging feeling that you really, REALLY should do what the letter told you to do 

>So you did 

 

>You signed the dotted line, and took one more look at the picture that was included 

>Female, clearly 

>Long brown hair, big eyes, a few freckles 

>And a big smile on her non-humanoid face 

>Even though the writer described themself as "ponies", she was quite different from the horses you knew 

>Admittedly a bit alien-looking, but not in a bad way 

>...she was cute 

>Like, really cute 

 

>You placed the photo back in the envelope, and put it beneath your pillow 

>Not knowing what to thing about the whole ordeal, you went to bed early 

 

__________________________________ 

 

>The next few weeks of your life you can only discribe as a whirlwind of emotions and discoveries 

>Ranging between the panic and fear of being awoken in the middle of the night by a small horse dressed in tactical combat gear, to the mindboggling awe from seeing Canterlot the first time, you truly went through every single possible emotion a human can feel 

 

>The trip between dimensions filled you with a dread so deep and black you thought it would swallow you whole 

>The week of medical tests and chrash courses in the Equestrian language and way of living left you confused and drained 

>More than once you questioned your own sanity, convinced that you had completely lost all of the marbles 

>A few days in you woke up in the middle of the night, fully certain that everything around you was but a hallucination, and you were really locked up in some mental ward  

>It took the kind nurse-mares almost an hour to snap you out of it 

 

>It was definitely a tumultuous time for you, and you even started to doubt if it was all worth it 

 

 

>And then you finally got to meet her for the first time 

>Your match 

>Your reason for coming here 

>Your mare 

 

>You were both so awkward 

>So afraid of making a mistake, to fuck up the most important moment of your lifes 

>It took a little while, but once you got started, you never stopped 

 

>You talked all the way to the train station, and through the entire journey to her home 

>Before you knew it, it was long past midnight, and you still sat in her couch, just talking and laughing 

 

>She offered her bed to you 

>Not wanting to take things too fast, you optioned for the couch 

>As the night slowly turned to day, and laid awake and pondered just were life had taken you 

>Your old life felt a million miles away 

>And the future was now filled with possibilities and excitement, instead of monotony and pain 

 

>It would take the two of you three days of ever-decreasing awkwardness until you hugged for the first time 

>Five days until your first kiss 

>And after a week, you held her close as you slept together 

 

_________________________________ 

 

>This was all a long time ago 

>And yet it feels like yesterday 

>A few years ago you couldn't even imagined where you would be today 

>How happy you are 

>How blessed you are 

 

>Your reminiscing is abruptly halted by movement beside you 

>Your wife stirs beneath the covers 

>The morning light hits her right in the face, and she shifts towards you to escape it 

>You put one arm around her and slowly pull her into a hug 

>Her pregnant belly, still just barely noticable, touches yours 

>With a pleased sigh she burrows her muzzle in your neck, still half asleep 

 

>Softly brushing away a stray lock of hair from her face, you look at your wife 

>She really is the most beautiful mare in the world 

 

>You took a huge gamble, leaving everything behind for a chance at love, for a chance at a decent life 

>And you got it all, and more 

 

>Hugging your mare tight, you once again think through all the choices and events that occured, and where you are today 

>And as the sun slowly rises outside and a new day of endless possibilities begins, you come to the same conclusion as always 

 

>You could not be happier