Falling in love is “a strange feeling,” and it’s even more perplexing when it’s with a longtime friend, Mia Nolasco found out.
“It was weird to be romantic,” she says, laughingly recalling the start of her love affair with her now-husband of five years, Anton Gonzalez.
Mia and Anton had known each other since they were 16. They went to separate boarding schools in the United States, and her brother was Anton’s classmate. The teenagers would get together on weekends. But neither was interested in the other. They were just friends.
As they grew older, they knew about each other’s relationships. Mia got married while Anton stayed a bachelor.
By 2001, Mia’s marriage had ended. She had three kids, and later adopted another.
Mia laughs when asked how she wound up with her friend.
“It turned kind of funny,” she says. “I wasn’t looking. I was happy the way my life was. I was financially independent. And I didn’t know that someone would take me with my four kids.”
Generosity
Her children, now aged between 6 and 16, had known Anton all their lives. Anton owned a toy store and “my kids would take advantage of his generosity. And he was genuinely good to them. It wasn’t for anything else,” recalls Mia.
Her kids adored him. When they announced their intent to marry, “the kids were excited,” says the mom.
They wed in December 2008. Born only three weeks apart, they were both 38.
“They say that it’s easier to marry when you’re older, because you can make mature decisions,” says Anton. “It wasn’t difficult. I felt it was time for me to settle down.”
Mia was his match. They were very similar, and it went beyond their Sun signs. They were compatible.
“We’re both level-headed,” he says. “Our only difference is that Mia is artistic, I’m more practical. But we consult each other on everything, even business.”
Mia used to run Luxasia, which distributes prestige cosmetics brands, but has since opted to be stay-at-home mom. Anton is president of the sports and lifestyle retailer Planet Sports Inc.
Both are religious and Marian devotees. These days, Mia teaches the Catholic doctrine in Filipino to kasambahay, her husband proudly says. “That’s her advocacy now.”
A natural
The couple didn’t go out publicly until after Mia’s first marriage was nullified in the Church in 2007 (her civil marriage was annulled in 2005). With her children, he took to the role of stepdad quite easily.
“When we were planning to wed, he spoke to my dad, who was dying of cancer,” says Mia. “He expressed his intention to marry me and take care of me and my kids. My dad said Anton needed to have his brain checked!”
There were no objections to their marriage from Anton’s “very religious” family. It didn’t matter that Mia already had children.
“They just wanted us to do things right. That’s why we married as soon as her annulment was finalized,” he says.
Mia’s eldest is in a boarding school in the US, and her youngest is about to turn 7. Asked if they plan on expanding their brood, Anton replies: “We’re four in my family, and Mia, they’re six. We’re in our early 40s now, but if we’re blessed with more children, that would make us very happy.”
5 things to keep the love alive
Mia
As a family:
1. Daily prayers, rosary and Mass together.
2. Travel together and exercise together when possible.
3. Dinner every night with family, and lunch dates.
4. Always “on the same team” when it comes to the kids. Never contradict each other before the kids.
5. No secrets. Discuss absolutely everything.
Anton
1. Pray together every day.
2. Take trips together, which is so important.
3. Have alone time whether it be lunch or before sleeping at night.
4. Discuss matters before coming up with family decisions.
5. Avoid taking arguments or disagreements to the following day. Don’t sleep on it.