I Went to the Theater Alone on My 63rd Anniversary… Then a Stranger Sat in My Wife’s Seat and Handed Me a Letter and Said, “Your Wife Asked Me to Pass Something on to You”

“Good. Because I don’t know what comes next… but I think it probably starts with coffee.”

We walked toward the parking lot together.

I glanced back once at the theater doors.

For a moment, I could almost hear Gloria beside me—laughing, making one of her little jokes about the seats.

I had gone there expecting to spend one more anniversary alone with her memory.

Instead, I walked out beside my son.

And for now, that is an ending I know how to hold.