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Unit2TextAAWeddingGiftIhadalwaysdreamedofbeingproposedtoinaParisiancafe,underdazzlingstars,liketheoneinaVanGoghknockoffthathangsinmystudioapartment.Instead,myboyfriendaskedmetomarryhimwhileIwaswanderingthebathroommirror.At40yearsold,itwasmyturn.Ihadgracefullysteppedasideandwatchedbothmytwinsisterandourbabysistertakethematrimonialplungebeforeme?Ihadbeenabridesmaidseventimesandamaidofhonorthreetimes.1hadmorepastel-colored,taffetadressesthanaconsignmentshop.Myfiancé,George,andIareGreek-American,butwewantedasimple,elegantaffair.Noentourageofbridesmaidsandgroomsmen.Nosillyslideshowrevealingdetailsofourcourtship.Thiswouldbeanintimategathering,neitherbignorfat,with100orsoguests.Inourfamiliesthatisintimate.Myjobasapublicisttoamonomaniacalorchestraconductorhadjustvanished,soIhadlotsoftimetodevotetomynewproject.George,whoworked60hoursaweekasapharmacist,nowhadasecondjob:listeningtomewhineaboutthewedding.Afterall,thiswasmyshow,andIwasthedirector.Butthemoretimeandeffort1putin,themoretheuniversetriedtothwartme.TheGreekbandfromLosAngelesthatIwantedwasn'tavailable.ThestitchingIhadrequestedformycathedralveilwasallwrong.MyivorysilkgownwasbeingquarantinedsomewhereinSingapore.Andwithourweddingjustafewweeksaway,Iwasannoyedthatmostofmyguestswererespondingafterthedeadline.ThenIreceivedthecallfrommymother,petiteandbrimmingwithenergyat68,whoafewdaysbeforehadbeensothrilledaboutthewedding.She’dbeentothedoctorforherannualcheckup.Althoughshefeltfine,thediagnosiswasstomachcancer.Overthenextfewdays,thequestionbecamenotWhatkindofwedding?butWedding?IhadthoughtofitasmyBigDay.IrealizedthataBigDaywithoutmymotherwouldbenodayatall.Nothavingmydad,whopassedawaythreeyearsbefore,towalkmedowntheaislewaspainful,butthethoughtofnothavingMomtherewasunbearable.Withinafewdays,ImovedbackhometoSeattlefromNewYorkCityandpostponedtheceremony.Iswitchedfromnavigatingweddingplanstonavigatingthehealth-caresystem.Ihadpickedoutthesongtobeplayedforourfirstdanceasahusbandandwife,butnow1washard-pressedtorememberwhatitwas.Mywedding,likeadream,wasvanishingagainsttheharshrealityofillness.Meanwhile,mytwosistersandI,wholivedinthreedifferentcities,wereunitedonceagaininahospitalwaitingroom.MytwinsisterflewinfromChicagodespitebeingeightmonthspregnant.Ourbabysister,who'dbeenlookingafterMomsinceDad'sdeath,wasgrippedbyfearasthefamiliarsightsandsmellswereeerilyreminiscentofhisfinaldays.Afterconsultingwithdoctors,welearnedthatstomachsurgerywasMom'sonlyoption.Wetookthefirstopening.Onadrabautumnmorning,assheetsofrainrelentlesslypouredoverSeattle,MomwasadmittedtotheSwedishCancerInstitute.Duringafive-houroperation,surgeonsremovedtwothirdsofherstomach.Pacinginthewaitingroom,terrified,Iwonderedwhatthefutureheldforallofus.Georgeflewouttobewithme.There'snoplaceI'dratherbe,hesaid.Forthreenightshesleptonthedankfloorinthehospitalwaitingareawrappedinatatteredsheetwithasoiledsofacushionunderhishead.Aweekaftertheoperation,thesurgeongaveushisprognosis:Thecancerhasnotspread,hesaid.ThoseweresomeoftheloveliestwordsintheEnglishlanguage.Georgesqueezedmyhandastearstrickleddownmyface.Theweeksthatfollowedwereexhausting.Mymotherhadtorethinkherdiet,andIhadtofigureoutwhattoprepare.DecadentGreekmealswerereplacedbytinyportionsandlotsofprotein,whichwouldhelpmendthesix-inchincisionthatranfromherbreastbonepasthernavel.Proteinwouldalsobolsterherimmunesystemforthechemoandradiationthatmightfollow.Untilthen,myideaofcookinghadbeenmicrowavingthedoggiebagfromthechi-chirestaurantI'deatenatthenightbefore.Butaftertwomonths,ImasteredpoachedeggsandT-bonesteaks.What'smore,caringformyMommademerealizehowconsummatelyshehadcaredforallofus.I'llneverforgetwhenIwenttoseeherintheintensive-careunit,justafewhoursafterhersurgery.Shewasstrungoutwithamyriadofplastictubesprotrudingfromherarms,nose,andmouth.Liz,makesureyoueatsomething,shesaidinastrained,raspyvoice.ForgetParis.Mom'sfullrecoverywasmydreamnow.Recently,shewentforafollow-upC-Tscan.Assheremovedhergoldweddingbandfortheexam,herfragile98-poundframetrembled.Therewouldbethisscan,andmanymore.Butthedoctorsaid,Everythinglooksgood.Soon,mymotherwillbewalkingmedowntheaisle.I'veforgottenwhatkindofstitchingisinmyveil.ButwhenIremoveitfrommyface,I’llbestaringatthetwopeopleIlovebeyondallreason:mysoon-to-behusbandandthewomanwhoshowedmewhat'sreallyimportant.Unit2TextBWeddedDisInFebruary，IgotengagedtoaguywhoIbelievetobethemostamazingmanalive．Ifeelsolucky，andIamverymuchinlove．Icannotwaittobemarried·SinceIhavebeenengaged，whileIhavegottenalotofcongratulatorywishesfromfriends，someolder，morecynicalpeoplejustwon’tletmebe.Ihaveheardthefollowingcomments,knockingmefrommyI’m-getting-married-to-the-love-of-my–lifepedestal:Itwillneverlast,Youwon'tevenmakeittothealtar,Marriageissodifficult,It'ssohardtomakeitworkandmyfavorite,accompaniedbyaneyerollandahorriblysarcastictone,Goodlucktoyou!Igetlecturesonthestrugglesthatlieahead,looksofsympathy,andspeechesonhowterriblemylifewillbeinaboutl0yearswhenIwillapparentlyhatemyhusband.Can'tanyonejustletmebehappy?PeoplelovemyfiancéandnoonehaseversaidthatIamnotready.Sowhyisth