Hi WOL
I too am a dreamer and a romantic, and wouldn't be any other way.
As a child I used to dream of my "Prince" who would rescue me from all the alcoholic chaos and confusion - after all that was what happened in fairy tales.
As a young woman, I found my "Prince" and used to dream of a beautiful home and a happy family.
Real life bit back, two beautiful kids but also two redundancies, my beautiful home was a grey terrace and we had no money to do it up, going into debt fast. My "Prince" cracked under the strain and left me for another woman, leaving me to cope with the kids, the house and the debts.
My dreams did not stop but they turned into adult dreams. I grew up. I learnt to become an independent woman who was not dependent on her "Prince" either financially or for her happiness. I learnt to love my grey box of a house - it became MY home and still is.
Six months later, I let my "Prince" back home and he has never broken my trust again. I would be sad if he did but I would not be devastated and broken, it would be his loss and this time there would be no route back.
Now there is deep trust and respect on both sides of the relationship - we have grown up. There is lots of love and laughter and going for walks holding hands. I am a very lucky woman and he is a lucky man to have me.
Keep dreaming WOL, there are good men out there and there are relationships free from all the chaos, craziness and pain of our childhoods. Your dream may get a bit dented and tarnished along the way but it will be routed in reality and be all the more special for it.
IWTHxxx