After the funeral, he became a different man.
Before Mom passed away, he brought life to every room.
He sang while preparing the coffee.
He would tell awful jokes at the table and laugh even before he got to the punchline.
There was always music playing somewhere in the house.
After his departure, silence descended upon everything.
For years, he refused to date anyone.
His family members encouraged him to meet someone.
His friends would invite him to dinner, and there always seemed to be a single woman sitting next to him.
He declined all invitations.
One day, I told him that Mom would never have wanted him to spend the rest of his life alone.
He looked at me with an expression I have never forgotten.
“I’m not alone, Lola,” he said. “I have you.”
