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“This situation — entering the hospital room of my wife’s lover — risked exposing our oddness in a way that unnerved me.”

What are the boundaries of an open marriage? What happens to them when your wife’s boyfriend has an accident that puts him in a coma? And what do you tell the kids?

Today, we’re revisiting Wayne Scott’s story about his open marriage — and a motorcycle accident that tested its boundaries. Then, we hear from Wayne and his wife, Elizabeth Thielman, about the dynamics of their “creative arrangement” and how their relationship has evolved in the years since.

Today’s story

• “Two Open Marriages In One Small Room,” Wayne Scott

This episode was originally released in 2021. It was hosted by Miya Lee and Daniel Jones; produced by Julia Botero, Hans Buetow and Elyssa Dudley; engineered by Corey Schreppel; and edited by Sara Sarasohn. This episode was updated in 2022.

Hosted by: Anna Martin
Produced by: Julia Botero, Hans Buetow, Christina Djossa and Elyssa Dudley
Edited by: Sara Sarasohn
Engineered by: Corey Schreppel
Theme Music by: Dan Powell
Original Music by: Dan Powell
Read by: Edoardo Ballerini
Written by: Wayne Scott
Founder, Modern Love: Daniel Jones
Editor, Modern Love Projects: Miya Lee

Special thanks: Mahima Chablani, Nell Gallogly, Julia Simon, Jeffrey Miranda and Anna Diamond at Audm.

Want more from Modern Love? Read past stories. Watch the TV series and sign up for the newsletter. We also have swag at the NYT Store and two books, “Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption” and “Tiny Love Stories: True Tales of Love in 100 Words or Less.”