At my husband’s funeral, I noticed ‘my girls.’ Once inseparable, at that moment we seemed like strangers in our golden years. As we reunited, regretting the lost time, one reckless idea made us question everything.
It was quiet at the funeral. Only a few people stood off to the side, whispering. I stood aside, clutching my husband’s old hat in my hands. It was all I had left of him and of us. Murmurs of condolences drifted past me, barely registering.
‘You should go inside,’ someone whispered, but I didn’t move from my seat.
My mind raced through all the plans we’d put off. Our last trip to the ocean, the dreams we’d put off for later. Later, he was gone.
‘Is that… Nora?’
My voice caught in my throat when I noticed a familiar figure on the edge of the group. She looked unsure, holding her bag tightly like a shield. Before I could gather my thoughts, another familiar face appeared.
‘Lorna?’ I whispered, almost laughing in disbelief.
She stood confidently, her brightly coloured scarf and glasses standing out against the gloomy crowd. It was as if I saw the ghost of my youth, but her eyes held the weight of years gone by.
‘My girls…’
Later, we found ourselves huddled in a small café.
‘The feeling is unreal,’ Nora admitted, stirring her tea. ‘How long has it been since we’ve all been together?’
‘Too long,’ Lorna replied. ‘And for that to be the reason… It’s not fair.’
I nodded. “I’ve spent the last few years taking care of him. Everything else just… stopped.”
‘And now what?’ asked Nora softly.
“His last wish was to see the ocean again. I didn’t do that while he was here. But I will now.”
‘I don’t even know what my wishes are anymore,’ Nora admitted. “My family… I don’t think they’ve ever seen me as more than a housekeeper. Last year I changed the Thanksgiving turkey recipe and it was a scandal. A turkey scandal.”
Lorna snorted, but her humour faded quickly. “At least you’re surrounded by people. I’ve been alone for so long, I think I’ve forgotten what joy is.”
Suddenly I muttered: “What if we go travelling together? All of us together. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Nora blinked. “A trip? Just like that?”
Lorna grinned. “I like it. Crazy, but I like it.”
We laughed, we really were at the beginning of a crazy journey.
A few days later, the airport buzzed with the sounds of rolling suitcases, distant announcements and the occasional laughter of families setting off on their own adventures. I clutched my boarding pass, feeling a growing excitement.
For once, my suitcase contained things I’d chosen not out of practicality or necessity, but simply because I liked them.
Nora stood nearby, frantically digging through her bag.
‘My passport was here a second ago!’ – she exclaimed, her voice rising with each word.
‘It’s in your hand, Nora,’ Lorna remarked, her calm tone betraying a faint smirk.
Nora blushed and held out the document as if it had appeared out of thin air. ‘Oh, well… I was just double-checking.’
Lorna adjusted her scarf with deliberate ease, but I noticed her fingers trembling.
‘Relax,’ I said, nudging her gently. ‘You’re a paragon of confidence.’
‘Fake it till you make it,’ she whispered back, and her grin grew wider.
When we landed, the real journey began. We rented a shiny convertible that Nora had insisted on.
‘If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it in style,’ she said, throwing her bags into the boot.
The open road greeted us with the salty smell of the ocean, and the horizon seemed to stretch endlessly, daring us to dream of more.
Of course, not everything went smoothly.
‘My luggage is missing,’ Lorna announced at the motel that first night.
“Gone? How can that even be?” asked Nora, raising her voice again.
“I have no idea, maybe I forgot it at baggage claim. But there’s no need to fuss about it. I’ll buy something else.”
True to her word, she returned an hour later with a lush dress that looked as if it had been made especially for her.
‘Problem solved,’ she announced, turning sharply around in the motel car park.
That evening the town was alive with music and lights. A banner fluttered over the square, ‘Annual Dance Tonight!’ All around, young couples danced.
Lorna’s eyes lit up.
‘I’m joining in.’
‘Without a partner?’ I asked sceptically.
‘Details,’ she said, waving me away.
It wasn’t long before a man with silver hair and a kind smile approached her.
‘Shall we dance?’ – He asked, holding out a single rose to her.
The music started, and although their steps weren’t perfect, Lorna radiated joy. When the announcer declared them the winners, her laughter echoed around the square. She held the small trophy as if it were an Olympic medal.
‘Roger, my dance partner, asked me out,’ she said later, her cheeks flushed.
The night seemed almost like a dream until dizziness overwhelmed me. I grabbed the edge of the table to support myself.