In the dim glow of a New York cafe in 1994, I found myself captivated by the gaze of a stranger. A ruggedly handsome artist sat across the room, his hands moving deftly across a sketchpad. When he approached me with a portrait--my portrait--drawn with startling precision, I was smitten. He moved into my life as swiftly as he had walked across that cafe floor. Soon, he was not only my partner but my equal in every aspect of my existence.