Together 16 years. I love him a little more every day.
He's a good man. Kind, gentle, communicative, funny, warm and loving. Very open with his affection, always has been. A rampant snuggler. Very handsome which is a bonus. He pulls his weight around the house, all chores are split 50/50, all cooking split 50/50. I haven't washed a dish for years because I hate it so he does them for me (in exchange for me doing the laundry). He absolutely adores our daughter and has always been a great, active father. He never shouts, which means a lot because my mum and dad were bellowers and I hate it.
Big romantic gestures have never been much of a thing for us, but for me it's more the small gestures that shows he knows me, or has been thinking about me. Tiny things. Bringing me my favourite chocolate, or buying me a new journal he knew I'd like, or parking up on the sofa next to me while I'm chilling and giving me a foot rub.
We've had some hard times too, but the important thing for me is that even when we've been furious with eachother, or struggling, or exhausted, or miserable, we've done everything in our power to tackle the problem together as a team, instead of turning it into me VS him. On the days I hated him most I still felt loved by him and felt like he was on my side.
I would say... Don't give up hope that you might meet one of the good ones "later" in life if you do choose to leave, they are out there. My MIL met her person in her 50's, and he's a wonderful man. Never married, no kids, just never met the right person, but a really lovely, genuine guy and treats MIL like she's a goddess incarnate. They do exist, BUT they are rare. Lazy entitled manchildren unfortunately do seem to be the norm.