My wonderful DH died very suddenly last year, leaving me a widow at 36 and a single mum of an almost 3 year old. At first I was suicidal and utterly mad with grief but as the months have gone by I have realised that I have no choice but to live for DD and do what DH would have wanted for me which is to raise our little girl and find some kind of happiness for myself.
However, I don't feel I can ever be truly happy on my own. I got so much fulfilment from being married, being a loving partner and being loved in return. DH and I had a very strong, intimate relationship - we were true soulmates. He was kind and loving and everything you could really ask for a husband to be. While I don't expect - or want - to find someone who is exactly the same as him, I really want to believe that I could some day meet someone else who makes me feel as loved as he did. And while nobody else will ever be my DD's daddy, I would love to find a male figure to be in her life and fulfil a similar role, and I know that's what DH wanted (because he told me).
So I guess this is a long way of asking for your own experiences of fulfilling second loves. Whether that's after being widowed or divorced or whatever. Especially if there were children in the mix. I am working so hard to get through each day and I just want to be able to see some hope on the horizon.