while, bittersweet. It has slowly been getting easier, like everyone said it would. But I think I expected it to just stop after a year and to feel normal again. And I’m still sad. Not as bad, but it’s still there, and it hits me sometimes when I least expect it. A friend thought it might help for me to come here, but I wasn’t sure about it. Earlier today, when I was on my way home, the song Marry Me came on the radio and that was going to be our first dance song. I lost it a little and thought maybe it wouldn’t hurt to come tonight.”
Janie smiled. “Well, we’re very glad that you did.” She looked around the room. “Does anyone else have any news they want to share?”
Barbara raised her hand. “I do. I just wanted to let you all know that this will be my last meeting. I’m moving off-island next week. It’s all good, though. I’ve been coming here since Janie started the group almost three years ago, and I’ve stayed because many of you have become good friends. Some of you already know this, but I got engaged last week. I never thought I’d meet anyone, let alone get married again, but I met David while out walking Molly, my dog. We became friends and—well, fell in love. Neither one of us expected it. David was offered a wonderful teaching opportunity at a college in Boston, so we are moving to Somerville.”
Mia was impressed. She knew from her introduction that Barbara had been married for almost thirty years and that her husband had died suddenly of a heart attack. If she could get through this and start over again with someone new, it gave Mia hope that she could get through it, too. She wasn’t thinking about dating, though. It still felt too soon for that.
They spent the rest of the hour talking about what everyone had found worked best when they were having a bad day. By the time the meeting ended, Mia was glad that she went and felt hopeful that the weekly meetings would help.
When the meeting broke up, Sam turned to her. “You must be Kate’s friend?”
“And you’re Sam.” Mia immediately felt a little flustered. “I mean, Kate mentioned that you found the group helpful. Thank you for giving her the information.”
“Of course.”
“Sam, we’re heading to the Rose and Crown. Why don’t you invite this pretty new lady to join us?” Ken said.
Sam smiled. “Thanks, Ken. I was just about to.” He turned to Mia. “A bunch of us usually head out for a quick bite to eat after the meetings. Why don’t you join us?”
Mia saw Ken and Barbara and a few others, even Candy, waiting by the door. It had been a good night, and she wasn’t anxious to get home.
“Sure, I’d love to.” Mia grabbed her coat and purse and they walked over to join the others. The Rose and Crown pub was just a few streets over, an easy five-minute walk from the yoga studio. It wasn’t busy, and they were quickly led to a big round table. The Rose and Crown was a restaurant bar, with lots of dark wood and a casual menu. There were six of them—Sam, Mia, Barbara, Ken, Candy and Janie.
Everyone ordered a drink, except Janie, who had a hot tea. They ordered a few appetizers for the table—nachos, clam fritters and chicken wings. Sam and Ken both ordered burgers as well, and Janie got a bowl of chowder. They stayed for just about an hour, and Mia was surprised by the shift in mood. Everyone, except for Ken, had been so serious and sad at the meeting. But here, they were all joking and laughing, and it was a really fun time. She got a big kick out of Ken, who flirted shamelessly with the waitresses, but he was very sweet, and they seemed to adore him. When he spoke about his wife, which was often, it was clear that they’d been madly in love right up until the end.
Mia knew that Sam had grown up on Nantucket, too, and went to school with Kate.
“What’s it like moving home? Are many of your friends still here?” she asked.
“It’s great being back, to be near my family, and the girls love it. Besides Kate and one or two others, though, most of the people I knew in school moved off-island after college and we’ve lost touch. There aren’t as many