Love story: Krista and Bruce Beasley of Huntington

Krista Beasley of Huntington tells how a chat room brought husband Bruce into her life.

I became a widow in 2007, at the age of 36, when my husband died of cancer at 40. Over the next year and a half, I joined some dating websites and went on a few dates that at least got me dressed and out of the house, but they were nothing to write home about.

I was coming to terms with the fact that I would not marry again and was enjoying living alone and taking care of myself when I ventured into an online chat room.

There I found people from across the country who just wanted to chat and have some fun, and we had the option of using a webcam so we could see one another. Each evening I'd log in and laugh for hours. Quite honestly, it was great therapy.

In November 2008, a man named Bruce logged in. I found him to be quite intelligent, funny and very cute! We eventually exchanged instant messages, then started texting and phoning each other daily. He was in California, single and a high school teacher. I teach fifth grade in Levittown.

That December, we talked about arranging to meet and decided that Bruce would spend a week at my house. He gave me his address and phone number and permission to give it to my friends and family so they could run background checks. During the visit, they would be checking on me, and I agreed that whenever my cell phone rang I had to answer it. I agreed to text a secret word to my sister a few times a day so she would know that I was OK.

My mom and I decided not to tell my dad, but he stopped by my house unexpectedly. He was quite cordial, then immediately called my sister to find out who Bruce was and why he didn't have a car. Did he have some kind of police record?

Bruce and I had the week of our lives, and "I love you" was said on the second day. My dog, Vegas, who doesn't tolerate men in the house, sealed the deal by jumping up on the couch next to Bruce his first day there.

I went to see Bruce in California, and he spent the summer with me. On the Fourth of July, in front of my family and friends, Bruce asked me to marry him. We were married on Aug. 14, 2010, and Bruce moved to Long Island. I never knew I could be this happy. We are just a great fit in every way.