Chapter 30
Thirty
Gage
I’m loving every minute of this day, from Iris’s sexy dress to the kids in their fancy party clothes to my extended family and the friends from all eras of my life, those who stayed close after I lost Nat and the girls, who’ve traveled to celebrate with us.
Many of them met Iris for the first time tonight.
The best part is that after it’s over, I get to spend every day for the rest of my life with Iris and the kids, who are mine now, too.
We have an appointment with Joy the week after next to sign the adoption paperwork.
They’ll keep their father’s last name, but I’ll be their legal parent.
Iris will hyphenate her last names until the kids are adults, so she has their name—and mine.
I can’t wait until the adoption is official and we have something else to celebrate in this new life of ours.
I also can’t wait to surprise Iris with the plans I made for our honeymoon, but that’s not for a few more hours. In the meantime, I plan to fully enjoy every minute of this party that was so many years in the making.
For a long time after Nat and the girls died, I couldn’t see past the deep fog of unbearable grief to picture the life I have today. Iris and her sweet kids have given me a beautiful second act that I’ll never take for granted, knowing all too well how quickly things can change.
The bandleader calls Roni and Derek to the stage. “Let’s hear it for our matron of honor and best man, who are, I’m told, engaged to be married as well!”
After a warm round of applause for our attendants, Derek steps up to the microphone. “Thank you all for being here today to celebrate Gage and Iris as well as Tyler, Sophia and Laney. Let’s hear it for the new family!”
As our guests cheer for us, the kids come to sit with us—or, more accurately, to sit on top of us.
We gather them in and hold them close. Tyler has lost his bow tie, and his shirt is untucked.
Laney’s hair has broken loose from the multitude of pins that were holding it in place.
Sophia looks as if she’d rather be home and in bed by now, which is on-brand for her.
I love them madly.
“Many of you know Iris and Gage from childhood, college, work, parenthood, neighborhoods, etc. Roni and I know them as the leaders of a group called the Wild Widows, which Iris and her friends Christy and Taylor, who are here tonight, formed years ago to support young widows. Why, you might ask, do young widows need extra support? That’s a great question and one most people don’t have to think much about.
If you’ve never had to ponder the subject, consider yourself lucky.
Roni and I are both widows, as are our friends over there… Raise your hands, people.”
The Wild Widows stand and give a wave as the other guests warmly applaud them. I love that Derek has called them out for special attention.
“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 thought they’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 is a 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 too will pass. People will move on to something else in no time.”
She’s right, and I agree with her, but unfortunately, the damage 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?”
Nodding, I give her a quick hug. “Thanks for the support, not just today, but always.”
“We’re always here for you. You’re stuck with us.”
Tears fill my eyes. She’s so sweet and lovely, with her dark hair cut into a cute bob. “Thank you.”
“How are you getting home?”
I was supposed to go with Roni and Derek. “I’ll get an Uber. Will you let Roni know?”
“Yep. Be safe.”
The others are occupied watching the cutting of the cake, so I’m able to scoot out without making a fuss, which is a huge relief.
When I reach for my phone to summon an Uber, I find a text from Brad. How’s the wedding?
It was lovely, but I’m heading out. Not in the mood…
You want to come over? Kids are in bed.
Other than a few texts commiserating about “the situation,” that’s the first overture he’s made toward me since we kissed on 395 last night, right before we learned the full extent of the nightmare unfolding online.
I’m not sure I want to go running back to him after he’s gone silent on me all day.
But I want to understand why he pulled away when things got hard.
After a long pause spent staring at the screen, I arrange for the Uber to take me to his house.
Yes, I reply to him, we need to talk. I’ll be there in forty minutes.
He sends two thumbs-up.
I hope I don’t regret this.
Iris
Today has been right out of a dream come true, from the rings Gage gave the kids to their delight in dressing up in their fancy clothes to his heartfelt vows and all the people who came from far and wide to share in this moment with us.
We debated endlessly about hiring a DJ or a band.
I’d wanted the DJ, but he’d advocated for the band he’d heard so much about from people at the club.
They’ve pulled out all the stops, with everything from Big Band to Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga and everything in between, with a horn section that’s to die for.
Our guests have been dancing nonstop for hours.
“You were right about the band,” I tell him as we dance to a slow version of “The Way You Look Tonight.”
“I’m right about most things.”
“Oh jeez. I walked straight into that one.”
His low chuckle makes me smile.
“They’re awesome.”
“Yes, they are.” He pulls back to look down at me. “Are you happy, love?”
“So happy it doesn’t seem real.”
“It’s real, and it’s the first day of the rest of our lives. I’m so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“And I’m glad I get to spend mine with you, the only guy who could put up with me and my crazy kids and my Wild Widows.”
“I love all your craziness, as you know.”
I snuggle into his embrace, steeped in the peace that’s been so hard-won for both of us.
“Are you ready to get to the wedding night?”
“So soon?”
“It’s almost ten, and your mom is about to take the kids home.”