There have been some very romantic true life love stories in my family. My dad walked into a USO in New Orleans in WWII and looked across the room and saw my mom. There was another woman standing there, and he said to her, "If you'll introduce me to that girl over there, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to marry her."

The woman was my grandmother, who said, "Over my dead body!"

Two weeks later my grandmother was threatening to jump off the Louisiana State Capitol if my mom married my dad, and six weeks later, they were married.

They were married for ... oh gosh, over 55 years when he died.

However -- these long marriages almost always have VERY rough periods. I know mine has had them! I was certain I'd end up divorced a few years back, but now I'm happier than I've ever been. So romance sparks but only hard work and lot of give and take keeps it going.