"I could promise to hold you and to cherish you. I could promise to be in sickness and in health. I could say, 'till death do us part.' But I won't. Those vows are for optimistic couples, the ones full of hope. And I do not stand here, on my wedding day, optimistic or full of hope. I am not optimistic; I am not hopeful. I am sure; I am steady. And I know that I am a heart man. So of this I am sure: you are my partner, my lover, my very best friend, my heart. My heart beats for you. And on this day, the day of our wedding, I promise you this: I promise you to lay my heart in the palm of your hands; I promise you me."
— Preston Burke, season 3, episode 25
