My husband passed away after 62 years of marriage. At his funeral, a young girl approached me, handed me an envelope, and said, "He asked me to give this to you today."

The girl stared at her shoes for a moment. "My father left when I was little. My mother is in the hospital right now. I mostly stay with my neighbor. That's how I learned about Harold's death. She showed me the obituary in the newspaper and told me when the funeral would be."

"What happened to your mother?"

"She needs heart surgery," Gini said without feeling sorry for herself. "But it costs too much."

"I want to see your mother."

We loaded Gini's bicycle into the trunk of the taxi. On the way, she mentioned that Harold had given it to her shortly before he died, and that thought took me by surprise. Then we went to the hospital.

"My mother is in the hospital."