Casey

I’m not sure how to feel. I didn’t really know him.

I have a somewhat convoluted family. My parents divorced after I went away to college. My dad remarried too quickly, they broke up a few years later, then he married again to the woman he is still married to. While I know Susan well I really only know her kids in passing – my stepbrother and stepsister. And of course I know their “significant others” (spouses or fiancees) even less well.

Hard to believe Dad and Susan have been together almost 30 years now. I attended their wedding, and took the picture they still have on the mantle. So when they asked if I could take pictures of Laura’s wedding (the stepsister mentioned above) I said sure, though the date wasn’t exactly set yet. I found his name was Casey – I thought she was still going with Tom.

I met them both in the store since and asked about the date. She said they were still planning for August 19th, but there was a technical detail to deal with first – he wasn’t legally divorced from his previous wife. They didn’t seem to consider it much of an issue, I suppose it must have been an amicable separation as such things go. Though last I heard they were still waiting on the divorce …

And then two days ago my parents tell me he died of a drug overdose. Leaves me wondering how well Laura really knew him – or was the divorce going really badly? Not my right to ask, especially with Laura as distraught as she is (and as I said, I don’t know her that well). So I guess I’ll probably never know.

From where I stand, it’s a terrible mess I am probably better off not being involved in. But if I see her in the next month or so (not unlikely), what do I say – if anything?