MsAprilJ, I've been married to my normal-drinking wife for 10 years, and I have no intention of giving up my relationship! I don't think it's automatic that a person has to be out of a relationship to get clean, but you do need that person's support. Given that you just had this outpouring a couple of nights ago it seems that he might need a little more time to understand what's going on.
My wife is the only person that I have shared my sobriety goal with. A day or two after I quit she got out some old liquor bottles after cleaning and left them out in the open. I had to remind her what I had talked to her about, and it wasn't a big deal.
Your partner should be completely supportive of your effort to get sober, but if he's heard you talk about stopping before when you didn't follow up, you may need to remind him of your intentions. Once you've made it clear that you intend to quit, you should expect his support.