Surprisingly, remaining platonic lovers with Selena proved easier than I'd expected. The return to my usual environment did a lot for that, as did the fact that I was never alone with Selena in a private area again. We stayed in regular contact, both at the university and by text, but I never felt tempted to push for another sexual encounter. To the best of my knowledge, Selena didn't either.

We were close, very close. But it was the bond forged between people who'd been through a life-defining moment together, rather than the bond between active lovers. There were no secrets between Selena and me, and outside of our spouses,...