Quite sudden breakup after almost 16 years. He didn’t love me anymore.
I made it through the first night listening to a recording of my mom reading my two favourite child books to me when I was three (these recordings were originally done on tape, but I digitalised them a few years ago and they are a bit of an auditory security blanket). That helped me through the night. Next morning, completely numb, I went to a bakery and bought something to eat, then I drove over to my best friend where I spent the whole day, crying and cursing but also laughing and most importantly talking. At the end of that, I was in a mindset where I knew this would hurt like fuck but it was better this way.
What followed were six weeks where my ex still lived in the same apartment and slept in the same room (we didn’t split in a fight, it simply was over), I fled to my best friend once per week and worked from there (self employed) and spent my weekends Friday afternoon till Sunday evening at my parents. I talked a lot with friends and family, took lengthy walks and overall just tried to make it through every day.
Once my ex was gone for good, my best friend came over for three days and helped with a deep clean of the apartment and setting up some new furniture to replace what he’d taken with him. Then I started my new life.
All I can say is, it gets better, it gets easier, and in hindsight it was one of the best things that happened to me.
It was in August of 2018, after almost 16 years. In January of 2020 I met my new partner who taught me what I’d missed in all that time.
I know this was a typo and you meant to write paramedics, but all I could think first thing I read this was “what a lucky bastard”