Paying the price of the memories: 20th anniversary edition
"Take what you want and pay for it," says God. — Spanish proverb* Twenty years ago today, I waited anxiously at the airport for my new life to begin. I was there to pick David up following his multi-week trip to Israel to work on an archeological dig. It would be the first time we had met since I left my marriage—something he learned after the fact, to be clear. But once he knew and I explained my long and torturous road to making that decision, it didn't take long for both of us to confess our feelings for each other. There was a lot on the line. I was separated, but not yet divorced, and even now, in the Year of Our Lord 2026, North Carolina law still does not recognize separations. In NC, you have to be physically separated from your spouse for "a year and a day" before you can even file for divorce. And finalizing a divorce can take months—or even years (ask me how I know...sigh). Walking into my new life put me in significant danger of legal ramifications...
