I married a stranger I met in a hospital waiting room so he wouldn’t die alone—after just one week of marriage, his lawyer handed me his backpack.

”

He opened a folder resting on his desk.

Inside was a newspaper clipping.

A photograph of Thomas standing outside a community counseling center.

The article’s title read: Local Grief Counselor Retires After 40 Years of Service.

Inside was a newspaper clipping.

I stared at the picture.

“A grief counselor?”

“Yes. Thomas spent most of his life helping families continue reading …