GABY’S SECOND VIDEO, PART TWO

SORRY ABOUT THAT. I’m okay now. You know me. Strong like bull, cry at the drop of a handkerchief.

Anyway…so this guy, this wonderful guy, your dad, who did everything to take care of himself. All that low-fat yogurt, organic fruit and veggies. Weighed himself every morning…Ran four miles every day. And then, the genetic heart-attack time bomb goes off. It was such a ridiculously short time we had with him—as a husband, as a dad, as a friend, as a soul mate.

But, you know what, one wonderful weekend with your father was worth more than a lifetime with some other men.

So you’re probably thinking, Well, hey, if you loved Dad so much, why replace him? I guess the point is, I can’t ever “replace” him. It’s just that…I want to be loved again.

And I really need to do something for myself. I’ve spent my whole life taking care of other people—no regrets—but now I’m doing something for me. Yay.

That’s what you’re all going to find out about this Christmas.

Don’t worry. I know who the person is. I’ve known for some time. However, the person doesn’t know who the person is. Like I said, I’m doing something for myself, and this is the way I’d like it to be.

Ohhh. And by the way, I want to remind you that there are a number of eligible and exceptional candidates around Stockbridge.

Like, well, your uncle Martin. I know you think of him as your father’s kid brother, but he’s only ten months younger—big deal. And I’ll tell you this. I have always had a little crush on Marty, and he’s had a crush on me.

Marty is terrific. Negative side? He plays the rhythm guitar—badly. Positive side? Former wife totally out of the picture and living in California. Attractive salt-and-pepper hair, and lots of it. Very good Italian cook. Cute butt from swimming every day. Everybody’s favorite house builder around here.

Oh, yes, I forgot to mention—Marty has asked to marry me.

Which doesn’t mean that I said yes, does it?

Another thing that I forgot to mention, and this is a mindblower: Marty isn’t the only one who’s asked.

There are three—so far, anyway. Does that seem incredible, even unbelievable, to you? It sure does to me. Even now it does. I’m still in shock and a little numb about the whole thing.

I’ll tell you how it happened. A few of us were sitting around after one of our breakfasts for the homeless in the barn. Marty, Jacob, Tom, Stacey Lee, and me.

Suddenly Marty told everybody that he’d asked me to marry him and was waiting for an answer. “You know Gaby. She does things in her own way, and according to her own clock,” he said.

What happened next started as a lark, almost a skit. That’s what I thought at first, anyway.

Jacob got down on one knee and—he asked if I would marry him. “I’m serious, Gaby. I’m a serious person when I have to be,” he said. “I’m asking you to marry me. I think I’ve been in love with you for the last couple of years. I’ll be a very good husband, Gaby.”

The way Jacob asked was so beautiful and thoughtful, it was hard to imagine he hadn’t composed and rehearsed it before that morning.

Then Tom got up and stood right in front of me. My God, what was going on? He was the most intense of all—but Tom is always intense—and his face was red when he confessed that he’d probably been in love with me for twenty years—but he said it in the sweetest way imaginable. He’s always been confident in athletics but a little shy in some social situations.

“I can’t let you go to Marty or Jacob without at least telling you how I feel. I adore you, Gaby. I just didn’t know if you were ready yet. If you are…will you marry me? Will you at least think about it?”

I was stunned, flabbergasted, speechless, and I finally said that, well, I would have to get back to them. I didn’t know what else I could possibly say.

They were all so sincere, and I care deeply about each of them. I couldn’t hurt anybody’s feelings, and I wasn’t even sure how I felt at that moment. It all happened so fast and was so unexpected.

But now I know what I want—whom I want. I don’t think I’ve ever been surer of anything in my life. I am utterly in love with the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.

Okay, look. Enough jibber-jabbering about me. I’ve got a few chores to do around here.

So there’s just one thing left to say: See you at Christmas, and see you in my dreams. I love you all so much.