Play all audios:
Daily, I leaned on my husband’s best friend. He was a kind, gentle soul who fell for one too many monetary scams. And he was always willing to listen to those in need. I needed him for my
survival. As it turned out, I wanted him for so much more. I fought my urges, so powerful at times that I had to distance myself from his presence for days at a time. Time apart did not
quell my urges. I fantasized about becoming intimate and even imagined us together in the future, although, in my heart, I knew it could never become a reality. My husband even joked that
his friend and I would make a great couple because we had so many traits in common. He was an avid reader, an excellent writer and one of the wittiest people on the planet. Outwardly, I
shrugged off my husband’s comments. But every once in a while, I’d get a glance from his friend that made me think he shared this sentiment. Then, as fate would have it, as my husband grew
stronger, a tumor began growing inside his best friend. Once it was discovered, it was too large to remove. The cancer had spread beyond treatment. I was devastated. How could God be so
cruel as to afflict both men I loved with this horrible disease? With no family nearby, no wife and no children, our friend moved into our home. After all, we were closer than blood. I knew
he had to come live with us, but I wasn’t sure I could handle having him this close. MORE FROM ETHELS TELL ALL I did the shopping and the cleaning, which left his daily care to my husband.
If a doctor suggested our friend eat greens, my husband bought kale and spinach, creatively incorporating them into his cooking. When our friend became too weak to walk, my husband helped
him down the hallway. When our friend needed to cry, my husband caught his tears. But it wasn’t all sadness. These men also shared a great sense of humor, which lasted until the very end.
Shortly after moving into our spare room, I asked our friend if he was comfortable. I was willing to do anything to keep him out of pain. “Yeah. The bed’s good,” he said. “But this room
feels like I’m living inside Storage Wars.” I guess this was his nice way of commenting on the clutter.