I thought I had reached the bottom of my sadness on the day I buried Emily. I felt uneasy when I walked into our home, which was now empty and quiet. The black ribbon on our front door made me think of my loss in an unpleasant way.
Jane, Emily’s sister, tried to help by cleaning the house, but it seemed to make things even more empty. It seemed like everything was too bright, which made my heart hurt even more.
Emily had given me this tie for Christmas, and I took it off and kicked off my shoes. As they hit the wall, I felt guilty. Emily, whose lips were pressed together in a mix of amusement and irritation, would have scolded me for that. I said sorry in my head and left the shoes where they were.
When I got to the fireplace, I saw our framed engagement picture, which made me smile. Something fell out from behind the frame as I picked it up, which made my heart skip a beat. What I discovered would alter everything I thought I knew about myself, Emily, and our relationship.
