“I had the repairman replace the broken mechanism,” she explained. “He found one that played your mother’s song.”
I looked at her.
“You did this for me?”
She nodded.
“I wanted you to have something that reminded you of Ruth.”
“You did this for me?”
I wiped my face.
“But this was Michael’s gift to you.”
Carol nodded.
“And now it’s my gift to you.”
She looked toward Daniel.
“Your father believed a good gift should keep making people happy.”
Daniel laughed through his tears.
“He really did.”
I wiped my face.
Carol turned back to me.
“At your rehearsal dinner, I heard you telling Daniel how much you missed your mother.”
Her voice shook.
“And all I could think about was how I was losing my place in my son’s life.”
She paused.
“I was worrying about myself while you were grieving someone who should’ve been there.”
I started crying again.
