It all started on January 16th, 2024. I managed to match with this future wifey of mine on Tinder and we hit it off instantly. For anyone who knows Lien, you know she’s usually a woman of few words over text—paragraphs are rarer than rocking horse poop—but with me, she was actually responding and sending novels.
Naturally, she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to match with me, especially since at the time I was recovering from a broken back. I had a very interesting "drag of the leg" walk going on... Elvis would’ve been proud of that limp, but she stuck around anyway.
We had our first date on February 2nd and things moved very quickly. I actually knew she was the one within the first hour of sitting with her. I was trying to play it cool, so she had no idea at the time, but I just felt it. That night, she even baked goodies for me to take home to our children.
Since that very moment, she has been the Mum that they truly deserved.
I’ll be honest, before Lien came along, I had turned very cold and bitter against everything.
Our children and I had been through something traumatic and we’d lost everything. The only thing we had was each other and my amazing family.
But thanks to Lien, I am back and I’m better than I’ve ever been before. She has the most natural maternal instincts I’ve ever seen; she is the most natural Mum ever and the kids absolutely adore her.
In fact, they probably like her more than me!
She is the most selfless, kind, and caring person I’ve ever known. She’s incredibly beautiful and has the most mesmerising eyes I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Don't let the "little and beautiful" look fool you though... she snores so loudly it’s actually impressive. Honestly, someone so small and stunning shouldn’t be capable of making those kinds of noises, but she manages it!
She has the most infectious smile and personality, and even though she’s a bit of a silly bint at times (and has a massive forehead), my life and the kids' lives have never been better. I know I annoy the shit out of her, but I also know how much she loves us. Our family finally feels complete.
Lien, I love you more than you will ever know bubba. I can’t wait until we get to say those magic words and spend the rest of our lives together before we eventually retire on a nice farm in Greece.
I’m going to save the rest for my speech on the big day.
Love you darling.
Back in January 2024, I had recently become single in my thirties and, if I'm honest, I was absolutely terrified about what specimens were left on the shelf. So, as you do when you're sitting alone in your one-bedroom flat questioning your life choices, I re-downloaded Tinder to see what the hell was out there.
The options did not exactly fill me with confidence. There were definitely some strange candidates, including one man whose profile pictures featured him dressed as a baby. Unsurprisingly, he didn't get my approval.
Then I came across Conor's profile. He seemed alright. Pretty normal, actually. We started chatting, although "chatting" might be a generous term because it would take him about three to four business days to reply. In true metal gear solid style - ‘kept you waiting, huh?’ Apparently, he hadn't turned his notifications on. That's what he told me anyway, and somehow I believed him.
Eventually, we arranged a date at The Blue Boar in Billericay, followed by mini golf at Hackers. We never actually made it to the golf. Instead, we made some questionable life choices and ordered limoncello shots.
And what can I say about the moment I first laid eyes on my future husband? Well, if the limp didn't catch my attention, the crutches definitely did.
For those who don't know, Conor had broken his back lifting a battery. Not an AA battery, but a battery for a cherry picker. He was still recovering, so not only was he legless because of the alcohol, that was pretty much his normal state at the time.
We talked and talked all night until Wetherspoons shut. Then, naturally, we walked to the local off-licence, bought a couple of Au Vodka cans, and hobbled our way up to Gail's Bakery because we both desperately needed a wee.
We ended up sitting outside on a crate by the back door, chatting for hours. Eventually, it got too cold, so we moved into my car and carried on talking. It wasn't until my Head Baker pulled into the car park to start their shift at 5:30am that we realised quite how much time had passed.
Like the gentleman he is, Conor ordered me an Uber back to South Woodham Ferrers, sat and waited with me until it arrived, even travelled along with me, and then made his own way back to Basildon. Looking back, that's probably information I should have known before swiping right on him.
What I didn't realise on that first date was that I wasn't just meeting Conor.
I was meeting a man who had been through more than most people knew, who was carrying a lot more than a broken back. I was also meeting three children who would slowly become some of the most important people in my life.
Conor always says I became the mum they deserved, but the truth is they made becoming part of their family incredibly easy. They welcomed me in from the very beginning, and before I knew it, school runs, family dinners, endless Red Bull requests, and being permanently outnumbered had become my normal.
If you'd told me a few years earlier that I'd be living with a man, helping raise three teenagers, and genuinely enjoying family life, I'd have laughed in your face. It wasn't part of my plan. But then again, neither was living in Vange!
What started as a date with a man who replied once every other week and turned up on crutches somehow became everything I'd never realised I wanted.
Conor likes to tell people that he knew I was the one within the first hour. I can't say exactly when I knew, but somewhere between talking until sunrise, seeing the way he loved his children, and realising how easy it was to be around him, I stopped imagining a future on my own.
For all the jokes about his dodgy leg, terrible geography skills, and the fact he lives in Basildon, the thing I love most about Conor is how he loves the people around him. He's the best dad, the most loyal partner, and the person who makes even the most ordinary days my favourite — even when he calls me "bint"!
Together we've built something neither of us expected to find: a family full of laughter, chaos, sarcasm, questionable life choices, limoncello shots, and a lot of love.
Somehow, amongst all the weird Tinder profiles, delayed replies, crutches, and that first night talking until sunrise, I found my person.
And I'd choose him every single time.
I can't wait to call you my husband and become a Morgan officially.