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1Unit2TextAAWeddingGiftElizabethEconomiesIhadalwaysdreamedofbeingproposedtoinaParisiancafe,underdazzlingstars,liketheoneinaVanGoghknockoffthathangsinmystudioapartment.Instead,myboyfriendaskedmetomarryhimwhileIwaswanderingthebathroommirror.At40yearsold,itwasmyturn.1hadgracefullysteppedasideandwatchedbothmytwinsisterandourbabysistertakethematrimonialplungebeforeme?1hadbeenabridesmaidseventimesandamaidofhonorthreetimes.1hadmorepastel-colored,taffetadressesthanaconsignmentshop.Myfiancé,George,andIareGreek-American,butwewantedasimple,elegantaffair.Noentourageofbridesmaidsandgroomsmen.Nosillyslideshowrevealingdetailsofourcourtship.Thiswouldbeanintimategathering,neitherbignorfat,with100orsoguests.Inourfamiliesthatisintimate.Myjobasapublicisttoamonomaniacalorchestraconductorhadjustvanished,so1hadlotsoftimetodevotetomynewproject.George,whoworked60hoursaweekasapharmacist,nowhadasecondjob:listeningtomewhineaboutthewedding.Afterall,thiswasmyshow,and1wasthedirector.Butthemoretimeandeffort1putin,themoretheuniversetriedtothwartme.TheGreekbandfromLosAngelesthat1wantedwasn'tavailable.Thestitching1hadrequestedformycathedralveilwasallwrong.MyivorysilkgownwasbeingquarantinedsomewhereinSingapore.Andwithourweddingjustafewweeksaway,1wasannoyedthatmostofmyguestswererespondingafterthedeadline.Then1receivedthecallfrommymother,petiteandbrimmingwithenergyat68,whoafewdaysbeforehadbeensothrilledaboutthewedding.She’dbeentothedoctorforherannualcheckup.Althoughshefeltfine,thediagnosiswasstomachcancer.Overthenextfewdays,thequestionbecamenotWhatkindofwedding?butWedding?IhadthoughtofitasmyBigDay.IrealizedthataBigDaywithoutmymotherwouldbenodayatall.Nothavingmydad,whopassedawaythreeyearsbefore,towalkmedowntheaislewaspainful,butthethoughtofnothavingMomtherewasunbearable.Withinafewdays,1movedbackhometoSeattlefromNewYorkCityandpostponedtheceremony.1switchedfromnavigatingweddingplanstonavigatingthehealth-caresystem.Ihadpickedoutthesongtobeplayedforourfirstdanceasahusbandandwife,butnow1washard-pressedtorememberwhatitwas.Mywedding,likeadream,wasvanishingagainsttheharshrealityofillness.Meanwhile,mytwosistersandI,wholivedinthreedifferentcities,wereunited2onceagaininahospitalwaitingroom.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.结婚礼物伊利莎白•埃科诺莫我一直有这样的梦想：星光灿烂的网上，在一家巴黎咖啡馆能有人向我求婚。那个咖啡馆就像梵高所画的“夜晚的咖啡馆”，我的工作室墙上就挂着一幅此画的翻印本。然而，我男朋友却在我用“稳得新”擦洗卫生间镜子的时候叫我嫁给他。3我已经上40岁，是该轮到我了，我已经体面地让开，眼看着孪生妹妹还有小妹在我之前出嫁，我做过女傧相7次，伴娘3次，我的淡颜色塔夫绸衣服比寄物店都多。我的未婚夫乔治和我都是希腊裔美国人，但是我们想办一个简朴、大方的婚礼。不需要很多伴娘伴郎。也不放映幻灯片，展示求婚的细节，那太傻了，这会是一次很温馨的聚会，请的人不多也不铺张，100个左右的宾客吧。在我们的家族，那算是小圈子内的聚会。我为一位偏执狂的管弦乐队指挥做公关刚刚结束，因而我有很多时间投入到我这个新的项目上。乔治是药剂师，每周工作60小时，现在又有一份工作：听我抱怨婚礼一事。这毕竟是我表现的时候，得有我说着算。但是，我投入的时间和精力越多，万事就越和我过不去。没有请到我想要的洛杉矶希腊乐队。我到教堂时所戴面纱的针线活也很糟，不是我原来所要求的。我订的象牙色的丝绸礼服被隔离在新加坡的某个地方。眼看着婚礼也就没有几个礼拜了，我邀请的客人大部分在最后期限之后才回信，让我很是烦恼。之后，我接到妈妈的电话。她个头娇小，68岁却依然精力饱满。几天前还为我即将举行的婚礼而感到兴奋不已。她刚去医院做例年的身体检查。虽然感觉不错，但被诊断是胃癌。接下来的几天，问题不再是“举行什么样的婚礼”，而是“还办婚礼吗？”我把这看作是我的大喜日子。我认识到没有妈妈的大喜日子不可思议。爸爸已经在三年前过世，不可能牵着我的手到教堂圣坛完婚，这已经让我觉得凄苦。但是一想到妈妈那天也不能在教堂