Reader's Digest Australia Feb/Mar 2026

months. I don’t know how much time passed as he patiently waited for my answer, but one day my boss came to work wearing Norman’s cologne. That did it. I couldn’t focus all day and real- ized I was ready to say yes. —marion tickner AWhirlwind Romance My boyfriend and I were at a church event when it began pouring rain. Soon sirens blared as the storm turned into a tornado. Al realized he’d forgotten to close the windows at his parents’ house a few miles away, as they had asked. I begged himnot to go, but he felt responsible for their home. I faced a decision: Go back to town with him or stay in the safety of the church base- ment? I looked in his eyes and knew that whatever happened to him, I wanted to happen to me. We’re still weathering life’s storms together. —Helen Hoyt Revving My Engine I fell for my mechanic the moment I saw him. He was under the hood, in a greasy jumpsuit. He looked up at me with big brown eyes, shaking back long hair hanging around his face. I melted. Then he said, “Your battery terminals just need to be cleaned. It’s on the house.” That was it. —patti higgins Auntie and Uncle I was already pretty sure my fiance was the one, but I knew for certain when I introduced him to my 2-year-old nephew. Lawrence spent hours laugh- ing and playing with the toddler he’d only just met. When it got chilly, he was quick to take off his jacket and wrapped it around the little guy. I know he’s going to be a wonderful husband and an even more amazing father. —brandi coleman I Would Walk 500 Miles My boyfriend and I had been together for six months and were planning to spend the weekend at my parents’ house. We’d gotten into an argument the night before, so I told my mom I was coming alone. When my boy- friend figured out that I’d left without him, he called my mom and said he was going to walk the 70 miles. As soon as I got to their house, she filled me in and told me I had better go get him because guys like that don’t come around often. I hopped back in the car to retrace the route and found reader ’ s digest 74 February/March 2026 HOW DO YOU OUTSMART THE SYSTEM? You know, if you’re strategic about your holidays, most years you can take four days around the public holidays and wind up with nine days off. And if you threaten to cancel that subscription service (streaming, delivery, meal kit or otherwise), they’ll almost certainly offer a better rate in an attempt to get you to stay. What’s your most creative way of colouring just a bit outside the lines and creating a masterpiece? Send in your life hacks to letters@readersdigest.com.au . It might appear in a future issue of Reader’s Digest . him hitchhiking down the highway toward their house. I knew I’d found my man. —Susan DeSantis Simms Bow-Tie the Knot One Christmas my boyfriend and I went to one anoth- er’s family gather- ings. His was informal and com- fortable. Mine was a church service requiring formal wear. I didn’t realize how badly I wanted my family to form a good first impression until I saw his bright green and pink polka-dot bow tie. No good for Christmas—Easter, maybe. He gra- ciously changed it. We’ve beenmarried for 44 years and learned not to care what other people think anymore. —katy ryser Skip a Beat, Never Town My ex-husband left after my youngest daughter was born with Down syn- drome. Dating when you have children is hard, but dating when you have a child with a disability can feel almost impossible. Mike and I met online, and after messaging and talking on the phone quite a bit, we went on a date. When he brought me home, I said I had something to tell him. He needed to knowmy daugh- ter had Down syndrome in case he wasn’t up for it. He looked at me like I’d lost mymind, and said, “And why would that matter? ” I assure you, it never has. —angela perry readersdigest.com.au 75 Your True Stories