Fuck, I love you.

The mountain we had to climb to be here in this this moment was the most challenging thing I have ever done. And the courage it took for us to follow our truth still amazes me every day. I am so proud of all of us – you, me, Susie and Charlie - for showing the world what true love is.

What we’ve created here is beyond my wildest expectations. This place, this life, this love is what dreams are made of. What we have is incredibly special – and I will forever protect what we have built together.

When I am with you everything is always OK. You calm my nerves, you wipe my tears, you always remind me of what matters in life. Your kind heart, smart mind, and thoughtful approach to everything you do…is why I will forever love you.

For all time, I will give you my whole heart.

For all time, I will take care of you.

For all time, I will appreciate you.

For all time, I am with you, you are with me.

Molly, you are made of love and light.

This much I know, because the most negative thing you seem capable of saying is, “This is not ok.” When our basement flooded and the Chicago sewer backed up on us, we stood knee-deep in it together, and you announced with conviction that this was “NOT OK.”

That purity of love and light is intoxicating. It is for everyone in this room.

When our paths first crossed, I was of course overwhelmed by your light. Love at first sight, and all that. But it also seemed a bit hidden. Something you might be rediscovering. After first meeting your friends and family I’d frequently hear, “We have our Molly back. She’s laughing again.”

So, even as we were just figuring things out, we knew something pretty special was happening. To protect it, we committed to our individual and shared truths, hoping it would guide us in becoming our best selves. Many of the decisions supporting that commitment were hard. We gave up a lot of what was for what could be. Deep down, I think we knew our commitment could add up to something bigger.

I think today it’s pretty obvious it did.

We also knew back then that the best version of you would ultimately be the best inspiration for Charlie and Susie. In the earliest days of knowing you, you would say, “I can’t wait for you to meet Charlie and Susie. You’re going to love them.” For me, that was intellectually obvious — they were extensions of your love and light. But it was emotionally unknowable. I tried to bridge that gap with writing, just as I had to feel closer to you.

In my head, before meeting you both, I imagined I could turn myself into the great Roald Dahl. I would write you stories like James and the Giant Peach or The BFG which would dazzle and amaze you. Your mom and I commissioned chalk walls illustrating the things I wrote, depicting new adventures yet to come in the new home she’d created for you.

Then that first meeting finally came. I’d made a handful of failed attempts to get you hooked on my stories. But obviously, you’d want to know all about me, so I braced myself for the flood of questions and probing curiosity. Charlie, you had one: “Bears or Packers?” Susie, you had none. Just: “Nope! I already Googled him.”

In that instant, the story of our lives became clear to me. It would write itself. All I had to do was bear witness. The gift of love and light as seen through all three of you would be my reward. I could put the pen down.

And so, today, there’s only one more thing to do. The sequel to the fiction I wrote you, is the biography we’re writing together. It may not be quite as romantic as a scrapbook opening with two McDonald’s straws from a first date some 50 years back… But it is everything we sent to each other during those first critical months of daring decisions.

So, maybe just one quick excerpt from 7:14am, January 24th, 2015…

“I woke with a tear rolling over the bridge of my nose. Lying down, tears defy gravity.

They travel in directions and over terrain they'd normally never pass. Tears of joy are especially funny things. They’re lighter than their sad counterparts. They’re explorers, adventurers. They are brave.

These tears are for you and the dreams I had of you last night, of waking up to your picture this morning... and an 'oh my god i love you' that lands like a birch arrow straight through my open heart.”

Molly, you are made of love and light. And you are perfect for me. And for all of us.