Here, Liane, tells the story in her own words.
Finishing each other’s sentences yet again, Marc’s bright blue eyes shone.
‘It’s like we’re two bodies with one mind!’ he marvelled.
In our mid-20s, we’d met on holiday and clicked instantly.
We’d found each other on a tropical island, but it turned out Marc lived just around the corner!
Dating for just a fortnight, we were strolling hand in hand, when we stopped in front of a fountain.
‘Will you marry me?’ Marc asked, pulling me in close.
‘What took you so long?’I joked.
‘You’ve only been dating two weeks!’ my friend Pat exclaimed when I told her I’d said yes. ‘Are you crazy?!’ Maybe! I thought.
But, after 38 years of marriage and two beautiful sons, Jonathan, 30, and Mickey, 26, there was no doubt we were meant to be!
Fascinated with genealogy, our eldest sketched out our family tree.
Doing an ancestry DNA test, he wanted Marc and I to do one as a lark.
‘Come on, Mum – it’ll be fun!’ he said. ‘Let’s see how much of me is Dad and how much is you.’
Ordering the kit, Marc sent away his saliva sample.
‘Have you done it yet, Mum?’ my boy nagged.
So, seeing a kit on sale, I bit the bullet and bought it.
At my computer one night, an email arrived. You have new DNA relatives, it read.
Opening it, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Marc?! I thought, stunned.
My hubby wasn’t just my beloved soulmate – he was my third cousin!
‘No way!’ I said.
Calling Marc in, I pointed to the screen.
‘You’re not going to believe this...’ I began, as he peered over my shoulder.
Looking at each other, we cracked up laughing.
When we finally stopped, I texted Jonathan with the hilarious news.
‘I don’t know how I feel about this!’ our son said, a little upset.
‘You were the one who pushed us to get tested,’ I pointed out. ‘You said it would be fun!’
Besides, it wasn’t like we were brother and sister!
Too funny to keep to ourselves, I shared our discovery on Facebook. #OurForbiddenLove I hashtagged the post.
Get out! No freakin’ way! How is that possible? You can’t make this stuff up! our friends and family commented.
Maybe this explains why you got engaged so fast! someone else wrote. Yeah... ‘cause Marc felt like family! another retorted.
To be fair, we were in good company. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are also third cousins! It certainly wasn’t illegal.
‘You’re my cousin-husband,’ I joked to Marc. ‘Better than being a sister-wife,’ he laughed. ‘Back off!’
I’d joke when he’d lean in for a kiss.
Watching TV that night, each time we caught each other’s eye we’d start giggling all over again.
Nearly a year on from our discovery, we’re still enjoying cracking cousin jokes.
But nothing could ever change the way I feel about Marc.
Still the kindest man I know, he always makes me laugh. With one scathingly funny remark, he’ll have me convulsing with laughter.
Together, we’ve raised two amazing young men who we are so incredibly proud of. For us, family always comes first!
To learn more about Liane and her family, visit www.lianekupferbergcarter.com/
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