Couple fall in love with gym Instructor and become a throuple
A husband and wife decided to enter into a three-way relationship after falling in love with a woman at the gym – and although both female partners tower over their shorter man, they all agree that ‘great things come in small packages.’
Engineering expediter and CrossFit gym owner, Mary Barillas, 32, from Kennewick, Washington, met her business partner husband and entrepreneur, Leo, 34, when she was 13 at high school. The pair started dating and got married when Mary turned 17.
2015 Mary and Leo met estimator, Kimberlee Slagle, 29, through their gym and the three soon became good friends. As they spent more time together, their friendship blossomed into a romantic attraction and they formed a throuple in September 2016.
Kimberlee and her two children, Keagen, 11, and Kymper, seven, joined the Barillas’ and their two children Carson, nine, and Paige, four, at their home in June 2017, and they’ve been living under the same roof ever since.
A romantic relationship started in 2016. Sometime that year we fell in love, probably at different times, for different reasons. We decided the three of us just vibed really well.
‘Polyamory means being open and honest with who we are. We love more than one person and embrace that, even though it is beyond the social norm.
Honestly, it is not very different from a traditional two-person relationship. We have a special relationship with each of our partners that we love and cherish and together we have a throuple.
‘Instead of two adults having a family, we have three adults. We all live together with our four children.
‘The family members that know of our relationship have been really accepting. It is not just family though, all of our friends are also very accepting.
‘We have been very fortunate to have friends and family who love us for who we are and they pay no regard to how we choose to live our lives, as long as we live a happy one.’
Leo, Mary and Kim acknowledge that their relationship might be a little out of the ordinary for some, but being a throuple allows them to live their best life.
Great things like diamonds come in small packages. I don’t mind being shorter than these two beautiful ladies. I think it makes others wonder what is so amazing about me.
The entrepreneur explained that reactions to their throuple lifestyle have been positive so far, although some people are still shocked to hear they live as a threesome.
‘We haven’t encountered any negative reactions to our face about our lifestyle,’ Leo said.
‘Jealousy is a real thing, in any relationship, not just polyamory. We have found the best way to deal with jealousy is to communicate,’ said Leo.
‘Communication is key to dealing with any issues that arise. If we cannot discuss them, we cannot fix them.
‘We chat a lot about the future, but find that living in the moment one day at a time is what is best for our family and us. Things can change so swiftly. Living in the here and now is what makes life worth living
We have had some people completely shocked and they typically have a ton of questions. Curiosity is normal and completely expected,’ he added. ‘It’s OK to follow your heart and be with who makes you happy even if it is considered unconventional,
‘Live the kind of life you want to live and live it with the people you love. You only get one life; you should live your best life.
‘Live this life honestly and open. Open communication is key to any successful relationship, no matter the type.
They share their family life on Instagram under the handle, @pnwtriad16, and want to inspire others to be honest with who they are – even if that differs to what’s considered ‘normal’ by society.
‘We have not always been a triad. Kim was a friend, and Mary and I are married. Kim was a member at a CrossFit gym we owned. The friendship we all had turned into attraction,’ said Leo.
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