This is Laurie. Laurie and Tessa live together. Laurie and I met last November, and now we're a couple — the couple I have wanted to be half of for as long as I can remember. She's a freelance writer and a damn good one. (She specializes in writing and editing newsletters for Big Pharma, but she does other science and defense-industry projects, too. If you need a freelance writer, drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with her.) The photo was taken outside the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore — a favorite of both of ours before we met and now a shared favorite.