Page 3 of Little Empty Promises

“Ever since my husband died, I’ve been a shell of a person,” she added.“He was my everything.I lived to breathe the air around him.I miss the sound of his voice, the way his smile brightened the darkest of days.And his smell … I sit in his car sometimes just so I can be reminded of it.Without him, I’ve struggled to find my way forward.But I believe even in our darkest of days, there is always a way forward.Wouldn’t you agree?”

It was quiet for some time, and then there was a loud popping sound, followed by pain … a stabbing pain in Cordelia’s chest.

She sagged to the ground, clutching her heart as she whispered, “I’ll be seeing you, Marlon.I’ll be seeing you soon.”

2

“Mom, did you hear me?”I asked.

My mother shifted her attention from the window to her watch, and then to me, saying, “I … umm, yeah.Sorry, dear.You mentioned something about a wedding, right?”

“Yeah,mywedding.”

Her eyes lit up.“Yourwedding?The two of you set a date, eh?It’s about time.”

We were standing in my mother’s living room, sipping tea, and warming ourselves in front of the fire.It had been a much chillier October than usual.And although I’d always welcomed autumn and the changing of the leaves, I wasn’t ready for cooler temperatures just yet.

“We’re planning on getting married next year,” I said.

“When?”

“August.”

My mother raised a brow.“Seems a bit far off, don’t you think?Then again, I suppose you’ve both been married before.”

I didn’t know what to make of her comment, and I wasn’t interested in adding any fuel to the fire, so I said, “It gives us plenty of time to plan.Besides, I’ve always wanted a summer wedding, and it’s not like there’s a rush.”

“I should say not.It’s been over a year since Giovanni’s proposal.I was starting to wonder if the two of you would ever tie the knot, or if you’d decided to remain engaged forever.”

She was in a testy mood this evening.

Something was bugging her.

I took a sip of tea and let the comment slide.

In truth, I wasn’t sure why we’d put off setting a date after our engagement.Months earlier, I’d learned Giovanni had been waiting for me to suggest a timeline for our nuptials.That was when we gave it some serious thought and came up with a plan.

My mother glanced out the window and then back at me again.“Where are you thinking you’ll have the ceremony?”

It was a question I expected, but one I wasn’t prepared to answer yet.

“New York is a place we’ve talked about,” I said.“It’s where we met.”

“When you were both in college, and you lived with his sister.I’m aware.”

“It holds special meaning to us for that reason.It’s also the city where we reunited four years ago.”

“It’s also where he proposed to you.It doesn’t seem like you’ve only talked about it.It seems like you’ve decided New York is the place.Am I right?”

I nodded.

She sighed, and I waited for what more she was about to say.

I didn’t wait long.

“I’d hoped the two of you would marry here.But I can see why getting married in a place that holds fond memories for the two of you makes sense.”

There was disappointment in her eyes when she’d said it, but so far, she wasn’t pressing the issue any further.

---