Page 135 of Someone to Remember
“Unlike the more common older widows, young widows face the daunting reality of having most of their lives ahead of them when they lose their spouse, decades to fill with something other than what they thoughtthey’d have. We face judgment from people who know nothing about what it’s like to confront this daunting challenge. We’re so thankful to have each other to walk through this experience together and to have days like today to remind us that even after the worst thing has happened, there’s so much more left to look forward to. This is true even as we continue to honor those we’ve lost, including Iris’s husband, Mike, and Gage’s wife, Natasha, as well as his daughters, Ivy and Hazel, who are always with Iris and Gage in everything they do and always will be.”
He steps aside and turns the microphone over to Roni.
“If you know Iris and Gage well enough to attend their wedding, then you also know how loving and giving they are to the people in their lives,” she says. “We’ve been ‘lucky’ to share this chapter of our story with them, to learn from them, to grow with them, to laugh with them—a lot more often than you’d expect for widows—and to love them with all our hearts. I’m a writer and communicator, and yet, I lack the proper words to articulate what these two people have meant to so many of us, so I’ll just say this… No one deserves happily ever after more than they do.”
“Raise your glasses to Gage, Iris, Tyler, Sophia and Laney,” Derek says. “To a lifetime of love and happiness.”
Iris and I are in tears as we work around the kids to applaud our friends and their heartfelt toast.
“Why are people doing that to their glasses?” Tyler asks as the crowd taps silverware against crystal.
“They want us to kiss,” I tell him.
“Ew, I’m outta here.” He scurries off, creating an opening for me to lean across the girls to kiss my wife.
Iris and I share a smile that says it all.
Angela
Dinner isa choice of filet mignon, lobster tail or chicken Marsala. I chose the filet, and while it’s tender and perfectly cooked, it might as well be made of charcoal. It’s been impossible to enjoy anything since the shit hit the fan last night.
I came so close to bailing out on the wedding, but in the end, I couldn’t do that to Iris and Gage, who’ve been such an enormous source of support to me during the hardest time in my life. Though I’m surrounded by friends, I feel other people looking at me, either because they recognize me or they’re trying to figure out how they know me.
I want to scream in their faces,I’m the first lady’s sister, the widowed one who dared to have dinner with a male friend eighteen months after her husband died—and the whole world showed up to deride me for it. That’s how you know me.
I’m not used to being the subject of this rabid level of attention, the kind my sister and brother-in-law deal with every day. It would make me insane to have people talking about me this way all the time.
“Is your meal satisfactory, ma’am?” one of the waiters asks when he notices I’ve barely touched my plate.
“It’s delicious, but I’m not feeling well.”
“Would you like me to box it up for you?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Are you all right, Angela?” Brielle asks.
“I’m having a tough time keeping my game face on. I might sneak out, but I feel terrible leaving so soon.”
“Iris and Gage would want you to do whatever you need to. If anyone understands, they sure do, and the rest of us do, too. I give you so much credit for hanging in there.”
“Just barely hanging in.”
“I know we’re not fans of trite sayings around here, but this toowillpass. People will move on to something else in no time.”
She’s right, and I agree with her, but unfortunately, thedamage is done. It’s caused a rupture in my relationship with Brad that’s yet another painful loss. “Can’t happen fast enough for me.”
The waiter returns with my take-home box.
“Thank you so much.”
“I hope you feel better,” he says.
“Me, too.” To Brielle, I say, “Please tell Iris and Gage…” I’m surprised by the knot of emotion that lodges in my throat. “Tell them I love them, and I’m so happy for them.”
“I will. Check in tomorrow? Let me know how you’re doing?”
