Out of order

Once upon a time, there were two girls who had an undeniable attraction to one another. They unceremoniously hooked up, moved in together, and, after moving across the country, exchanged rings as birthday and Christmas gifts. Years later, the two took an afternoon off work and rode the escalator down to the Cook County clerk's office. There, on the first day it was possible, they registered as domestic partners. All of this was done without much fuss. That is about to change.