I do not know how long I sat there in silence as my life as I knew ended. How did we come to this?

We were soulmates (or at least I thought we were).

We met in our first year at University. He asked me out soon after Freshmen Orientation Camp. My first fond memory of him and what convinced me to say yes to a date was his goofy dancing to George Harrison’s “Got My Mind Set on You” at the camp. Before the start of the academic year, we were a couple. We dated through those 4 years in university and survived quarrels and a couple of months when we were apart in different countries. There were two or three near break-up moments but we came through those stronger and by the time we were in our final year, I thought we had on a truly solid and strong foundation for a life-long relationship.

There was a moment I remember that I still hold on to about how close we were. We were playing taboo with friends. And it was a sort of couple face-off with another 2 couple friends. We were unbeatable. Just how good were we? I drew a card and said “Sleepless in Seattle”. And he replied without missing a heartbeat “Empire State Building” which was the answer on the card.

He proposed to me on bended knee by a beautiful lake with a tiffany solitaire, and I thought I was truly blessed given that most local boys proposed with the more pragmatic “So, you want to book a HDB flat?”

We got married 7 years after we started dating. Had 4 children. Bought a second home. We’d just finished renovations and moved in less than a year and a half. Life was hopeful and looking up for us. We were talking about how the new home would be where our kids grow up and get married out of, how we would keep our first home and move back there years later when our kids have all moved out.

And I remembered a Saturday in early 2012 at the supermarket, where he had gone to put the groceries in the car and returned from the car park. Looking for me, he spotted me across the sea of busy shoppers and his face lit up with a smile as he made his way through the crowd of shoppers and trolleys, eyes fixed on me. A small moment, unexceptional by most measures, that went unnoticed by the busy strangers around us but for me, magical and imprinted forever in my heart.