To those in long term happy relationships how did you know it was the one?

[Bluesprinkles12]

For those in long term happy relationships how and after how long did you know you were sure it was the one? Not ‘hoped it might have been’ but 100% completely sure or have you never reached that stage?

I knew the first time I saw him. Which is ridiculous and I would have thought it nonsense if it hadn't actually happened to me.
The first conversation I had with him I felt like I'd known him all my life.
We've been married ten years now and have had ups and downs like any married couple but I've never doubted that I loved him or he me. He's also the most decent person I've ever met. He's got flaws like anyone but I know when it comes down to it he would always act with compassion and try and do the right thing in any situation. He is essentially kind and essentially optimistic. He occasionally annoys the fuck out of me but I've never trusted anyone in the way I trust him to have my back.
I'd loved men before but there'd always been some element of mistrust or doubt. I never felt like I knew that was it for the rest of my life. I've only ever felt that for my husband.

I just knew straight away, as did he. Luckily we were correct.

I don't really believe in "the one" but I guess my answer is that it never stopped feeling right. I initially thought it would be a ONS. Then I thought it'd be a short fling. I assumed I'd get bored or discover obvious incompatibility, as I usually did with men, but that just... never happened. I went into it with a mindset for just enjoying it as long as it lasted, but after a couple of years I had to admit that I was probably in it for the long haul.

The person I could be myself with.

He was (is) such a nice person, with a lovely family.

We got together when my mum had terminal cancer. He only met her a handful of times before she was moved into a hospice. When her final weeks / days came, he spent every single hour of every day and night sat with me by her bedside, sleeping on a hard plastic chair, until she passed away. During the times I was having meetings with doctors, speaking with family and doing all the general life / death admin (that is sadly required during these times), he sat holding my mums hand so she wouldn't ever be on her own. I knew before then that he was "the one" but that just blew all my expectations of what a relationship could - and should - be, out of the water.

All of that aside, he is my favourite person in the world, we fancy the pants off each other, love spending time together and I can't wait to get home to him at the end of the day. I don't think there is much more to it than that.

And all of this for me too.

It was just a natural progression - I'm not sure that most people analyse these things so precisely.
And also, can one ever be 100% sure? I'm not sure "The One" exists.... maybe it's "The Good Enough". Who knows? Even to this day, 3 decades later, I do know that there are no guarantees in life, so things could still take an unexpected twist.

He felt like home, smelt indescribably 'right' and wasn't even slightly insane, which after the run of dating I'd just had was like a breath of fresh air.