I am the woman in the painting now. It’s finally happened. When I first envisioned this beautiful scene, a man and woman with their arms around one another, standing in front of an ancient landmark with the Italian sun glinting as it dips below the horizon, I didn’t know for sure that I would ever occupy this space. But here I am, my arm around Braxton, his around mine, as we gaze at the sun setting behind the gorgeous scene before us.

What makes it even more amazing is that we are ...