People generally didn't cheat in good relationships.

I do not expect to get what I want, so I don't. And I don't even try.

I'm glad you were both here," I finally manage, thinking how strange it is to be standing with the two people who made you, something most kids take for granted every day of their lives.

But I have learned that you make your own happiness, that part of going for what you want means losing something else. And when the stakes are high, the losses can be that much greater.

He nods, as if to acknowledge that endings are almost always a little sad, even when there is something to look forward to on the other side.

I love him wholly and unconditionally and without reservation. I love him enough to sacrifice a friendship. I love him enough to accept my own happiness and use it, in turn, to make him happy back.

Every couple has two stories - the edited one to be shared from the couch and the unabridged version best left alone.