Page 43 of It's a Widow Thing

“I’ve heard so much about you,” they both said in near unison.

Brian and Michael looked at each other and laughed. Then Alyshia and Sabrina joined in. And Sabrina marveled at how much she felt as though she was at home.

Everyone got situated around the dining room table for lunch, which consisted of a mixed green salad and homemade chicken and dumplings. With a rich broth, it was like a hug in a bowl. The conversation at the table mostly revolved around Zoe, who was holding court by telling stories about school and soccer and her friends. Sabrina sat quietly and took it all in, soaking up the loving family atmosphere. After they finished eating, William, Michael, and Brian took Zoe into town to pick up the cake for that evening’s celebration of Lydia’s birthday. That left Sabrina, Alyshia, and Lydia to chat in the living room with a cup of tea.

“I’m glad we have a chance to talk,” Lydia said. “I worried that we wouldn’t get any time alone.”

Sabrina glanced over at Alyshia, who offered a reassuring “you’ve got this” sort of smile.

“Me too,” Sabrina said. “And thank you for having me here this weekend. It was nice of you to include me.”

“Of course,” Lydia replied. “You know, Michael told me a little bit about you and your business. It’s very impressive.”

Sabrina never bothered with putting labels like “impressive” on her work, it was merely what she did. “Thank you. That’s kind.”

“It really is,” Alyshia said. “Now that Zoe’s a little older, I’m thinking about going back to work. Being a stay-at-home mom isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“What did you do before kids?” Sabrina asked.

“Public relations. I worked for a firm in the city, but I’m thinking about starting my own company.”

“It would give you more flexibility. And it’s certainly empowering,” Sabrina said. “Let me know if you decide to do that. We’ve done all of our own PR at Chelsea Mayhem. I might need some help as we grow.”

“Does that mean you and Brian have decided against more children? Because that’s news to me,” Lydia said, in much the way that some people might inquire about whether someone was looking for a new car.

“Zoe’s seven, Lydia. I think one is plenty for us.” Alyshia tucked one leg under her butt. “I know you were able to juggle three boys and a career in politics, but I find motherhood exhausting. I want more out of my life. And as awesome as Zoe is, she’s a handful. I think she might be smarter than Brian and I put together.”

Lydia’s lips formed a very unhappy thin line as she looked at Alyshia, but just when it seemed like she might launch into a retort, she set her sights on Sabrina. “So, Sabrina, I have to bring it up. Michael also told me about you losing your husband.” She shook her head, expressing dismay. “I’m so sorry. No woman as young and vibrant as you should have to go through such a tragedy.”

Okay, then. I guess we’re doing this.Sabrina nodded, taking in each word as Lydia continued to share her take on it. Lydia had friends who’d lost spouses and partners, and she couldn’t imagine losing William. Lydia was doing her damndest to show empathy. It was also a bit of a pep talk. But Sabrina had been to this rodeo before, and repeating it with Michael’s mother was only giving her flashbacks. To time with Andrew’s mom. Near the end. When he was stuck in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life, and everyone else had to sit by and wait for the worst to happen.

Andrew had just told Sabrina that he wanted her to move on with her life after he was gone.Go fall in love. Please have a baby. You’re too amazing to not be a mom. Sabrina sobbed through every word. At the time, she only wanted to hold on to him so tightly that he simply couldn’t leave her. She couldn’t fathom one minute on this earth without him.I won’t. I can’t. I will love you forever.His mother overhead the exchange and begged Sabrina to be honest with Andrew. She was extremely religious and convinced that Andrew needed to know the truth before he could die. The thing was, Sabrinawasbeing honest—she couldn’t picture this day, sitting in Michael’s family’s living room in the Hamptons. She couldn’t imagine ever caring for Michael the way she had for Andrew, meeting a new family and pondering things like whether she might eventually become a part of it.

Lydia lowered her head and made eye contact. “Oh, no. I’ve upset you. That wasn’t my intention. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to talk about this, Sabrina. Or I can leave if you two want to talk about it alone.” It was clear that Alyshia had a delicate path to take here—she wanted to be kind, but she also had to pay deference to her mother-in-law.

“It’s okay.” Sabrina wiped away the tears that had involuntarily rolled down her cheeks. That was another price of widowhood—you cried at the most inconvenient times. “It still catches me off guard sometimes. But thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it.” She took a deep breath and conjured a smile.

“Well, I’m glad you have Michael. He’s a wonderful man. I can’t even take all of the credit for it. He turned out the way he did,” Lydia said. “But you’ve made him very happy. I can see it on his face every time he looks at you.”

“It’s true,” Alyshia chimed in. “You guys are so adorable together.”

“Thanks. And you’re right. He’s so great.” Participating in this impromptu meeting of the Michael Wright fan club did help to whisk away the tears.

“I’m glad that you didn’t let his health issue scare you off. I’m sure you’re a little gun-shy about that given what you went through with your husband,” Lydia said.

It was like the earth had screeched to a halt. Like the DJ had dragged the needle across the record. “Health issue?” Sabrina asked, her voice hitting an unnaturally high note.

“Oh, no.” Alyshia clasped her hand over her mouth.

“Wait. What health issue?” Sabrina’s sights flew back and forth between the two women. Her mind instantly jumped to terrible conclusions, but what else was she supposed to think? “Michael didn’t tell me anything about a health problem.”

Lydia’s eyes were full of surprise, but she remained remarkably calm. She scooted across the cushion until she was seated closer to Sabrina. “He didn’t tell you about the chest pains? About his cardiologist?”

“No. He did not.” Of the many things she and Michael had discussed, he’d never thought to bring up anything about his heart. He’d talked plenty about other parts of his body. Or at least pointed out that they wanted her attention.

The front door opened and closed, then Michael appeared in the entry to the great room. “Alright, you three. If you’re plotting my demise, I feel like you should at least give me a running start.”