Terry, from your posts I always feel you have accepted yourself for who you are, and the role fate has played in your life. This is why your posts are often such inspiring reading. And in my opinion it takes real masculinity to be so open and sensitive with your feelings.
May I suggest that you purchase the film " Cinema Paradiso" as this film beautifully captures an exsperience similar to yours, I am sure this film will touch your heart in a very profound way, because it's such a liberating film, capturing the challenges of " presumed priorities" which can result in the injustice of fate and love.
I won't spoil the plot for you, but in one scene we are shown all the endless kisses in film history that censorship tried to erase. Yet each of those kisses infact represented a love and tenderness, similar to your " beautiful story" .
Kind Regards
The Rebel.