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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 Chacrabardi.

In any long-term relationship, partners are bound to change over time.

You either grow closer or further apart.

But what if that change were out of your control entirely?

And growing apart became inevitable.

These are questions Robert Saint-A-Mont didn't think too much about...

Until he was forced to.

Peter Gallagher, known for shows like Law and Order SVU,

Grace and Frankie and the OC, Reads Robert's essay,

promises that can bend without breaking.

In December, my wife and I moved out of our house into an independent living apartment.

Walking through the building, you might take it for a well-kept hotel...

Until you notice the handrails lining the hallways,

the nursing assistants in the common areas,

and the people pushing walkers in front of them...

...rather than pulling luggage carts behind them.

The average resident is close to 80 years old.

The end of the year brought a stream of visitors.

One afternoon we joined the other residents to meet with fourth graders,

...