“I’ve lost a lot in my life,” Aubrey continues, her voice dropping to a more vulnerable tone. “My first husband, George, and just recently my Gabriel… They were the men I thought I’d get to spend the rest of my life with and around, but they’ve all been taken from me. It’s times like this where I’m alone with my thoughts that I start to feel like I might be cursed…”

The rawness in her voice catches me off guard. “Aubrey, I don’t think you’re cursed,” I say gently.

She lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “You might not say that if you knew the whole story.”

I lean forward slightly, my drink forgotten about, my curiosity piqued. “What do you mean?”

Aubrey takes a deep breath as if steeling herself. “Have you heard about what happened to my first husband, George?”

“Maybe,” I say as I slowly shake my head. “But all I can remember is that he passed away.”

Her lips press into a thin line, and for a moment she seems lost in a memory. “We were young, in love, and foolish,” she begins. “Or at least I thought we were in love. I thought a lot of things back then… I thought I was marrying the love of my life. After we said our vows the photographer took me away for a bit to take some wedding portraits—” she cuts herself off and drags in a shaky breath. After she takes a few moments to compose herself she continues. “He went missing and I found him and my best friend Cassie alone together in the bathroom.” Her voice breaks at the last word.

“That’s… awful. I am so sorry.”

Aubrey shrugs, her expression tight. “It was. George had her pressed up against the wall and her dress was up around her waist. I was devastated. He was supposed to be the love of my life. We had this huge fight, and he got drunk— so drunk he could barely stand. I was still angry the next morning, but we had plans to go skiing, and… Well, I had hoped he had sobered up and a morning on the slopes would make things better. Our wedding was at the hotel we honeymooned at, and I didn’t want to cancel the honeymoon just because he was a cheating bastard.”

I reach across the table and grab her trembling hands in mine, waiting for what I know is coming next.

Voice trembling she continued, “We went out on the slopes and he just wasn’t himself. He was reckless. He lost control and hit a tree… Just like that, he was gone and I was a widow before the ink on our marriage license was dry.”

“Aubrey, you know that wasn’t your fault… Right?”