If
E2 had an
Obituary Log, then I think that's where I
would add this
writeup, even though
no one has died.
I found out yesterday that my brother and his
girlfriend had broken up. They had been going out for
four or five years. He had been cheating on her.
I'd only met her a dozen or so times, sometimes just
chance encounters at the mall. She was quite pretty, very
tall and almost anorexically thin. She was shyly
quiet, but not in an intimidated sense, and this made her
seem quite graceful and elegant, but not confidently
so. I remember the first time I met her, she had more
hairspray in her hair than I've ever known anyone else to
have.
The last three times I saw her were at my
grandmother's funeral, when she brought over baby
gifts for my new son, and at Christmas.
My grandmother's funeral was small. The ceremony was
short, attended only by family and a few friends.
Afterwards we drove for two hours to the cemetery, which
was overrun with thyme and wild strawberries. It
smelled lovely. My brother was very upset; his girlfriend
was a huge and unyielding support to him.
She had grown up. She had long stopped using so much
hairspray and just looked simple and clean. She still
wasn't confident -- she never wanted to be photographed --
but there was a soft reliability to her. She was
thoughtful and gracious; she brought over many
presents for my new son and she didn't mind how messy our
house was, neglected because of our new interest.
Christmas was the last time I saw her, and though I'll
likely see her in the mall from time to time, I feel like
I've lost someone close. I will miss her at
Christmastime, and I hope that she finds someone who does
love her.