My aunt has been living with her lady friend all her life. The thing is, my girlfriend was called my lady friend whenever I went to family gatherings, so I assumed that was the tactful term for any plus one that wasn’t a spouse.

Curiously, after a bad-life-choices girlfriend when I was 27 (a long story of its own), I had a friend who served as a beard for future family gatherings, who I knew was going to be tactful and enjoy the good food, and with whom I could flirt with all night harmlessly. She was a lady friend indeed.