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Imagine risking your life in pursuit of love. That’s exactly what David Wisnia and Helen Spitzer, two prisoners at Auschwitz, did every time they dared to meet amid the death and despair that surrounded them. They knew their stolen moments would eventually come to an end, but they planned to reunite. It took them 72 years.
In this week’s Modern Love essay, writer Brian Burns’s love for Fran Lebowitz leads him to an unexpected encounter (and a wild ride on a motorcycle) with a man about 50 years his senior. But Mr. Burns would soon realize that their connection wasn’t what it seemed.
And, for Frank and Katie Smith, who divorced in 2017, separation came as a surprise even though they had spent several years drifting apart. The pressures of children and finances finally took its toll on their relationship. Looking back, Ms. Smith wonders if she could have tried harder. “I had plenty of time to talk him out of it, and I never did,” she said. “Deep down we couldn’t put together a future.”
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