Page 117 of Someone to Remember
“How’d you meet Mary Alice?”
“She’s the sister of one of my firefighter friends,and let me tell you, I was hesitant to go down that road again. I made him swear to me that if I decided to end things with her, it wasn’t going to be a deal breaker between us. He said as long as I was upstanding in all my dealings with her, we’d be fine.”
“And you believed him?”
“I did. We were tight. He knew I was a good guy who wouldn’t be an asshole to his sister, and besides, he saw that I really liked her after we met at a fire department picnic.”
“So your good friend became your brother-in-law.”
“He did. He was best man at the wedding.”
“That’s a great story. Are you still close?”
“More so than ever after losing her. He and his wife have really stepped up for me and the kids. They’re my best friends.”
“I’m so glad you have them.”
“And many others I’d be lost without. I feel extraordinarily blessed that way. I’ve heard that a lot of widows and widowers feel abandoned after the first months pass and real life sets in. My people have remained faithful.”
“Most of mine have, too.”
“Who’ve you lost?”
“A couple of mom friends who came in hot at first and then faded into the ether after a while. I’d only known them a couple of years, since our kids were in kindergarten, but I’d kind of hoped we’d go the distance together.”
“Why do you think they dropped out?”
“They don’t know what to say to me. I’m living their worst nightmare, and being around me is a reminder that it can happen to them, too. That’s my theory, anyway.”
“Lame.”
“Very, but from what I’ve read, it’s a common experience for widows.”
“It’s still lame.”
“No one wants to associate with tragedy and sudden death. It’s too real for them.”
“Poor babies. How do they cope?”
“It’s hard for them, Brad. Be nice.”
He laughs. “People are so messed up.”
“They really are, but we’re killing the widow game.”
“Hell yes, we are. The one thing I never wanted to be successful at.”
“Same. Can we put it on a résumé? ‘I’m an excellent widow and single mother.’”
“I’d give you the job.”
He surprises me when he reaches for my hand as if it’s something he’s done a million times before. “Is this okay?”
I nod and smile as I note his hand feels different than Spencer’s did. Brad’s is more calloused from hard work. In addition to his role with the fire department, he does carpentry and home renovation projects on the side. He’s continued to take a few of those jobs since Mary Alice died.
“Did you finish the project at your friend’s house?”
“Yep. All done. New everything in their main bathroom.”
