Mens_HealthUSA_December_2016

December 2016 | MensHealth.com 81

Icons by MICHAEL BRANDON MYERS

When our friends set me and

Diana up on a blind date, they

figured we’d bond because

of our pets. They were right.

We’d take my elderly husky,

Lucky, and her rambunctious

chocolate Lab, Dylan, to the

park, the beach, or each other’s

apartments. A year passed. The

relationship had substance in

an easygoing sort of way. Then,

boom: It wasn’t easy. Our dogs

were sick—Lucky with hip prob-

lems, Dylan with lymphoma.

The truth is, it sucked. The truth

is also that it showed me I had

stumbled onto a partner with a

big heart. Diana was there as

we shoved pills down Lucky’s

throat and carried him outside to

pee. She was there during his

final hours, holding his paw and

my hand as the vet ended his

misery. Any doubts I’d had about

who would be the mother of

my children left. Nine months

later, as I stood beside Diana

while Dylan’s battle with cancer

ended, we were already married.

—PETER F., LOS ANGELES, CA

When She Knew Too

“I took him to a Cardinals

game, and he tolerated me

heckling the pitcher. By

the end of the game, he’d

joined in.” —AMY G.

“As he walked by, he gave

me this huge sm ile — and

ran smack into a wall. We

laughed about it.” —DINA M.

“I told him I’d probably never

marry him, and he didn’t

k i c k me o u t. (I ’ ve b e en his

wife for a year and haven’t

looked back.)” —NAOMI P.

“He brought a piece of cake

to his Nonna, who had

Parkinson’s, and helped

feed it to her.” —JENNIFER M.

“He got busted for peeing

on a house, which I found

hilarious. It wasn’t yet

capital-L love, but it was the

start of my crush.” —KIERA A.

“ O ne nigh t in pub li c , dr unk , I

pointed to my finger and

yelled, ‘One carat! Round

cut!’ He didn’t run; I knew he

was the one.” —CHRISTINE M.

When She

Helped Put

Lucky Down

When fate smiles

upon you and

looks this good,

smile back.