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From the New York Times and WBUR Boston, this is Modern Love.

Stories of Love, loss and redemption.

I'm your host, Megna Chakrabardi.

Sometimes our most rewarding relationships come in unexpected packages.

And sometimes people on the outside just don't get it.

Ruth Nega, stars in the AMC series Preacher.

She reads Caroline Levitt's essay, My Touchstone and A Heart of Gold.

I never intended to get a tortoise.

I was in a troubled relationship with a man who was the opposite of me in almost every way.

While I felt exiled every time I left Manhattan, he yearned to move to the country.

When we discovered we both wanted a pet though, we thought we finally had found common ground.

I was allergic to dogs and cats, so we scouted for other possibilities at the pet store.

Finally, I pointed to a crowded tank, a glossy shell, and a pair of orange-ringed eyes.

This is what you want.

He asked outfully.

I nodded.

We named the tortoise Mini.

And by the time we realized she was a he after an eye-popping male display, the name had stuck.

How could we have gotten this wrong, my boyfriend said?

But I didn't care.

How could I not love this strange little creature?

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