Because they had to, American soldiers and medics in Iraq and Afghanistan who went through battles together, improvised along the way, about how to make decisions, share leadership or provide emergency care for an IED-hit comrade.

FORBES: Connect

As we get ready to start our own family, I think about how I will explain this all to my future child (or children -- that's still up for discussion) about what we went through to be together.

CNN: A mixed-race romance, a family rift

Among Ms Scarf's interviewees are several couples who went through a rocky patch but stayed together.

ECONOMIST: Marriage