Chapter Forty-Five
Now
The morning after my hike with the kids, I picked up the phone, finally ready to do something that I’d been avoiding: my last act as Ali’s wife. My final duty to my husband.
“SJ Memorials,” a man answered. “How may I help you?”
“Yes, hi.” My throat closed a little. Ali had been dead for months, but this was like putting a period at the end of the sentence that had been his life.
I knew it was time for me to start writing the next chapter, the one without Ali in it. My life with my husband was like a permanent museum exhibit. I could enjoy revisiting it, but not much would change. A new memory might pop up occasionally, but there wouldn’t be many updates.
Most marriages, like exhibits, were collaborations, but I would write this next phase alone. “I’d like to make an appointment to order a tombstone for my late husband,” I said.
“Of course. I’d be happy to help you with that. I’m very sorry for your loss.” His voice was gentle and sympathetic. “Do you have a particular type of stone in mind? Like, say, marble or granite?”
“Not really.” I smiled as Ali’s words immediately formed in my head. I knew exactly what he would say, what he would want. In that moment, he was with me again and we were making this final decision together.
“I want something nice,” I told the man, “but not too expensive.”