For fourteen years I believed that the steadfast routine of marriage was an unspoken pledge, an enduring commitment to overcome life’s challenges together. My husband, James, and I had built a shared life founded on quiet habits, gentle glances, and an implicit promise of mutual support in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. In the soft glow of hope for our anniversary celebration, I longed for a grand, symbolic gesture—a touch of romance to remind me that our years together were cherished.
