I fell hard for San Francisco the first time I saw it. I vowed to come back and did—40 years ago. Friends joke it is my longest relationship (OK, true). Like a real lover, it has thrilled and frustrated me. I threatened to leave many times, but always stayed. How could I leave my true love? Now in my 60s, substandard housing and the threat of disasters has me worn out. How do you love a place with all your heart, then break up with it? And if you finally do, what happens to the heart you leave behind?

This story was NOT accepted by NYT Tiny Love Story submissions, just like the 57,941 other submissions (the population of Dubuque, Iowa–I checked).