In high school, I dreamt of having a gay best friend. The peanut butter to my jelly. The Taco to my Bell. Let’s be honest….the Will to my Grace. As a college freshman in in the early aughts, I met Michael and my platonic dreams came true.

Over the years, we’ve joked about being each other’s backup plan: if we weren’t married with children by a certain point, we’d have a kid together.

20 years and a dozen of failed relationships later, I’m pulling the ripcord and becoming a single mother by choice.