repeating their – For their fourth wedding anniversary, a couple returned to St. Augustine, Florida for a four-day getaway that was meant to feel romantic and help them practice life as a pair. The trip brought both tenderness and a growing sense of emptiness as they spent time
For their fourth wedding anniversary, a married couple returned to St.. Augustine, Florida, the place that had served as their honeymoon destination.. It was only the second time they traveled without their son. and the first time it happened for an anniversary rather than the wedding trip that started everything.
The decision carried careful meaning.. The wife, a single mom when she began dating her husband, had long prioritized how the family would function together.. She said it was important to her that the three of them would “work well together as a family. ” and when they got the chance to travel. she and her husband generally chose family vacations.. Still. the trip was designed to be different: she suggested going back to their honeymoon spot now. then planning a bigger trip for their fifth anniversary next year. pitching the romantic getaway as a practice run for what was coming.
Her husband didn’t need much persuading.. He agreed that repeating the honeymoon experience sounded perfect, and they stayed away from their son for four days.. They took the trip at around the same time of year as their honeymoon four years earlier. and filled it with couple-focused moments—walking on the beach. eating at their honeymoon restaurant. and ordering cupcakes that reminded them of their wedding cake.
By day two. the distance from their son started to feel “odd.” She said she didn’t want to risk telling her husband and possibly make it seem like she wasn’t enjoying herself.. Then. on the same day that he expressed wishing their son were there. she felt immediate relief—because his feelings matched hers.. In that moment. she said she felt “lucky all over again” to have found a husband who loves her son as much as she does and is “truly a third parent.”
She also reflected on the contrast between that reality and her earlier outlook as a single mom.. Giving up hope that she would find someone good enough “for myself and my son. ” she described the relationship as something she still finds more romantic than the outward gestures of travel.. She said remembering what he’s like now—and seeing it in him—felt “more romantic to me than the fancy dinners and things like special-order cupcakes.”
The couple’s conversation deepened as their family faced what’s next.. Their son is entering middle school. and the couple said they have been talking more about what life will be like after he graduates.. During the vacation, they said they realized how much the absence of their son would hit them one day.. They used those feelings to talk about how to move forward. and she said she believes it is important for their family to keep their marriage strong even as they recognize how hard it can be to take couple time—because they aren’t used to it.
As the long weekend ended, they had acquired too many souvenirs for their son and were happy to go home.. They also agreed the trip had been “really good” overall, even without the whole family there.. Both said they need to make more effort for small trips like this—partly to reconnect as a couple and partly to keep their family strong.
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