“Do you remember the joke I made right here, a year ago?” “You said that since I was already dressed for a wedding, you were available as an emergency backup.” “It was a terribly cheesy line.” “It was absolutely terrible,” I agreed.

He set a small velvet box on the table and opened it — a sapphire ring.

“I’d like to upgrade that backup offer,” he said, “into something permanent.” And then he said the thing that undid me completely: “Samantha, I am never going to ask you to step away from your work.

I don’t ever want to compete with your patients, and I will never ask you to change your surgical schedule to prove you love me.

All I want is for you to come home to us whenever you’re done taking care of the world.” For the first time in my life, a partner was offering me love that did not require me to amputate the best part of myself to receive it.