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My husband and I met during a job interview. I had spent the morning interviewing for an education reporter position at the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, S.C. After lunch, I was touring the newsroom with one of the editors when she got an important phone call.

She left me to take the call, and I was stranded in the sports department.

Chris Winston was the only reporter there at the time -- the others were either at lunch or working late to cover games. So I asked him how he liked working at the paper and living in Spartanburg. He invited me to play poker that night with the other young reporters and editors. I politely declined, fearing that I would make a bad impression if I were to end a good interview with a bad night of poker.

The editor who was showing me around was still on the phone and we were running out of small talk. Still, when I did finally continue the tour, I walked away thinking that the Herald-Journal might be a good place to work if everyone else was as cool and friendly as Chris Winston.

I got the job ... and the sports reporter.

We worked together at the paper for six years. In that time, we dated, got married and bought a house. And throughout all that, we drove together to work, shared our lunch hour and hung out with the same friends on the weekends. We shared a byline only once -- when Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Ryan Sims returned to his hometown to buy the naming rights of the local high school baseball field. And when Chris was promoted to business editor, everyone was careful not to schedule him as my supervisor in the Saturday rotation.

For us, it worked, although we both knew we were treading in dangerous territory by mixing our private lives with our careers. Still, it was nice that we both really understood each other's job. When I came home at the end of the day and complained about my editor, Chris knew exactly what I meant. And when he had to spend his weekends covering NASCAR races and college football games, I understood.

I left the paper when our first son was born. I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but the decision was made even easier by the fact that we both worked in jobs with unpredictable schedules and long hours. If the day care center closed at 5:30 p.m., but we both had breaking news to cover, who would pick up the baby? Or would our son come to work with us? I was glad I would never have to negotiate those dilemmas.

Plus, we knew we wouldn't stay in Spartanburg forever, and it was going to be much easier to find one new job at a paper, rather than two.

After Charlie was born, Chris worked as a night editor and business editor, then decided he was ready to move on. So, we arrived in the New River Valley, where he worked as an editor at the Christiansburg bureau of The Roanoke Times, and I was able to pick up some freelance work. In the past three years, Chris has held a few different positions at The Roanoke Times, both in the New River Valley and in the Roanoke newsroom.

On Monday, he leaves his post as business editor to return to the New River Valley as bureau chief. Chris is looking forward to the new assignment and the chance to cover news in the community where we live. I am excited that he will be able to come home for lunch occasionally, do the preschool carpool in a pinch and meet us in the emergency room when our boys get hurt doing what boys do.

The only downside is that I must give up the New River Journal column that I've been writing for the past three years. Although Chris and I have worked together in the past, it's not a good idea for him to be my editor.

I never want to have this conversation: "You left your dirty socks on the floor again and you completely changed the essence of my column by cutting that paragraph."

Nor do I ever want to hear, "You know I need that column today, right?" when he knows full well I also have to clean the bathrooms before his parents arrive, do a load of laundry, go to the bank and make a casserole for a friend who had a baby.

Nor would I want him to let me off the hook for those reasons, either.

I have enjoyed writing about the challenges and joys of raising children. I appreciate the words of wisdom and advice I have received in reply. Mostly, I hope that other parents could take comfort in knowing that they aren't the only ones who can be completely amazed, humbled, confused and frustrated by the job of parenting.

Bridget B. Winston is a stay-at-home mom and freelance writer who lives in Christiansburg.