My partner and I don't want to get married, but sometimes, if we're traveling or there's a health emergency, it's easier to let people assume we are

The author and her partner (not pictured) are not married, but she sometimes doesn't correct people when they make assumptions.

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• I've never felt the need to define my relationship with titles or by getting married.
• Even so, I find it challenging not to conform to society's definitions.
• Language matters, and sometimes, I let people make assumptions.

In Sweden, where my father's family is from, there is a concept called sambo. It is a word that means...