At some point, you realize the life you imagined quietly disappeared and something else took its place. I never believed life unfolded neatly. I didn’t grow up with certainty or fairytales; I grew up hoping I’d find something steady enough to build around. Some of my closest friends, the ones I grew up with, had family relationships I deeply longed for. I didn’t have a dream wedding in mind or a picture-perfect family story I expected to live into. I just wanted a happy, content, genuine family life. My expectations were simpler. In hindsight, they were smaller. I wanted to find love and build a family. I aimed to create…