The day before I was set to marry the woman who had been waiting for me for three years, I went to my late wife’s cemetery. I wanted to say farewell. But what I found in that quiet graveyard on a dark, rainy day changed my life forever.
“Daniel kneels by Mariana’s grave to say goodbye one last time before going on with his life.”
The Day Before My Wedding
Laura and I would get married the next day. The family was happy, the place was adorned, and our friends were pleased. Everything was ready. Laura had been my best friend during the worst time in my life. She never pushed me, never asked for more than I could give, and always gave me more than I deserved.
Even though this was a new chapter for me, I felt a little sad. It doesn’t just go away; it settles deep inside you and becomes who you are.
Four Years After Mariana
It had been four years since my first wife, Mariana, died. The woman I thought I would spend the rest of my life with perished in a terrible tragedy. One minute she was at the market getting veggies, and the next she was gone.
I can still remember the phone call that changed everything for me: “There’s been an accident…” We tried everything we could… “I’m really sorry.”
Her body was already cold when I got to the hospital. Her smile, the one I had kissed so many times, stayed the same. I fell in the hallway and couldn’t breathe. It seemed like the ground had fallen away from me.
Falling into Grief
For months after Mariana died, there was nothing and no one. Our house, which used to be full of laughing, was now simply walls and memories. She never wore the clothes in her closet. The blanket she liked best still smelled like her. I missed her so much that everything reminded me of her.
My friends and family begged me to get over it, but I couldn’t. I thought I would never be able to love again.
And there was Laura too.
Laura was a coworker who was nice, patient, and helpful. She didn’t make me do anything. She didn’t try to get Mariana out of my heart. She let me cry, breathe, and finally get better instead.
She would sit quietly with me when I couldn’t manage my memories. She didn’t become jealous when I talked about Mariana. She got what I was saying. For more than three years, her patience helped me deal with my anguish. Little by little, I began to understand that I could open my heart again. It wasn’t the same type of love; it was calmer, deeper, and deserved. When I asked her to marry me, she said yes.
But I knew I had to say goodbye before I could start this new chapter.
The Visit That Changed Everything
I went to the cemetery the day before my wedding. It started to rain lightly as I walked over the gravestones. I brought a cloth and white chrysanthemums to clean Mariana’s grave. I knelt down on the moist ground and swept the dirt and leaves away. I couldn’t see well because I was crying.
“Mariana,” I said softly, “I’m getting married to someone else tomorrow.” I will always love you, but I need to learn how to live again. Please give me your blessing.
A Stranger in the Graves
I heard quiet footsteps behind me as I knelt. I turned around and saw a woman in her thirties with a light brown coat on. She was thin. Her eyes were sad but calm.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” she added in a quiet voice.
I said “No” and wiped my face. “It’s okay.” Are you here to see someone?
She nodded and pointed to the grave next to Mariana’s. In a low voice, she said, “My sister.” “It was four years ago that she died in a car accident.”
I stopped. The date on Mariana’s sister’s gravestone was the same as Mariana’s: the same day and the same accident.
Two persons who didn’t know each other were both depressed.
Daniel sees Isabel at the cemetery.
Both of them are strangers who have lost someone they love.
Isabel was her name. Two people who had never met before stood alongside in silence, united by the same tragedy. We learned that Gabriela, her sister, had died in the same accident as Mariana while we were talking. She cried as she talked about how warm Gabriela was, how much she loved music, and how hilarious she was. I told them about Mariana’s kindness, her ability to sing while cooking, and her lovely heart.
We didn’t talk about love or desire; we only talked about loss and memories. It was a peaceful and unexpected time of healing.
“Laura gets ready for her wedding day with a mix of hope and quiet excitement.”
We said farewell and went our separate ways after that.
I married Laura the next day.
Isabel Returns Because of Fate
Even though life went on, I never forgot about Isabel. Weeks later, serendipity brought us back together at work. I was shocked to see her in the conference room because our companies were working on a project together. Her eyes still seemed like they knew me.
We gathered for coffee and talked about grief again, how the world kept going even if ours had stopped. Isabel said that ever since Gabriela died, she had been working too hard. “Seeing you that day made me feel less alone,” she remarked.
And I got it. We were both hurting. We began to chat to each other more often. There were instances when I told Isabel things that I hadn’t told Laura. That made me feel uneasy.
“Daniel and Isabel get together for coffee and talk about the past, and they both feel better about their sadness.”
The Talk That Saved My Marriage
That night, I told Laura everything: what I had said to Isabel, how I felt, and how lost I was. I thought there would be rage. I thought I would be really sad.
Instead, she said something that will always stick with me:
“Daniel, I waited for you for three years. Isabel doesn’t scare me. You don’t love someone by accident. Please pick, but not because you feel horrible about it; do it with all your heart.
I couldn’t believe how strong she was. That night, I figured out the truth: I liked Isabel because she made me feel horrible. But Laura… helped me become a better person. She was a gift for me. My future.
And I knew I had already made my choice.
Letting go bit by bit.
After that, I only talked to Isabel about work. We didn’t have quiet coffees or private talks anymore. We didn’t have to. I still think of her from time to time, but not with longing; instead, with gratitude.
The question she asked me will always stay with me:
“Are you with someone who reminds you of your wounds or someone who helps you heal them?”
That question changed me. It reminded me that love is what keeps us going, even when grief can bring us together.
“Daniel and Laura are having a quiet moment at home, where they are choosing to love and heal each other.”
Laura was the one who came into my brokenness and stayed. And I pick her every day. I go back to her every day.