I grew up in a time when gay people, by law, were not able to marry. This made a strong impression on me. While laws have changed, and some mindsets have changed with them, I never let go of the idea that people like me were not capable of love stories - or didn't deserve happy endings. The beginning of our relationship, with the sweet moments and happy memories, certainly challenged my notion of how life is for people like me but did not free me of my fears. Frances lovingly wore me down. Her relentless patience, and open-heartedness, and Sunday morning pancakes and biscuits, and her willingness to rub my belly and to listen to me talk about work worked magic. I spent less time doubting that I could love or be loved, and started spending more time doubting that the messages about "people like me" could be well-founded to begin with. Six years later, a few major deaths and milestones into adult life, I am now certain: I am capable of loving and being loved by a partner, just the way I am, and I could not be happier that my person is Frances.

Kerrigan often speaks of my patient love for them as a remarkable virtue, but it never seems that way to me. Loving them requires no tolerance on my part. When we first started dating I thought it might be difficult to maintain a relationship through graduating college and starting our adult lives since it is a time of great personal change for many people. What I did not know at the time was how enriching it would be to grow with Kerrigan. They live life with drive and joy and I feel so fortunate to get to know them everyday, whether it's a quiet one with our cat or the first day of a new job or one of mourning. And I know that we would not have as good a life as we do without our wider family and friends. Thank you all for the love, time and support. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a party person. But I cannot think of a better day than celebrating my love with Kerrigan with our loved ones.