James Joyce never actually married Nora Barnacle until they had lived together for over a quarter century and had two kids together. When Joyce’s father heard Nora’s last name, he famously said, “Well, at least she’ll stick to him.”

At one point when they were going through a tough time he gave her this necklace, which reads, “Love Is Unhappy When Love Is Away.” That’s his grandson Stephen and his wife Solange, who now wears it.

The line comes from one of his poems:

Winds of May, that dance on the sea,
Dancing a ring-around in glee
From furrow to furrow while overhead
The foam flies up to be garlanded
In silvery arches spanning the air,
Saw you my true love anywhere?
Welladay, welladay!
For the winds of May!
Love is unhappy when love is away.

James (!) and Nora were virtually inseparable their whole lives, squabbling, sniping, loving, fucking, raising a family, and unable one to do without the other.

May you and Jimmah be happy, sad, fractious, fighting, forgiving, feisty, and full o’ piss and vinegar all your days.

Please consider this my epithalamion to the both of you.