The Best Breakup Line I Ever Got: A Young Widow's Journey to Find Love Again

The Best Breakup Line I Ever Got

A Young Widow’s Journey to Find Love Again

Teresa Schachtel

Copyright © 2021 Teresa Schachtel

All rights reserved.

Cover art, illustration edits,

and author photo by: Shellie Dial

Character illustrations by: Teresa Schachtel

Editing and proofreading by: Ki & C, www.kiandc.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my son, Zander.

May your future be bright and filled with

positive life lessons!

Special Thanks

Thank you to Christine, Kiersten, Jacque, and Zander for all of your support and help.

And thank you to my angel of a mother, Bea,

for loving me and always making sure I

invest in myself.

Preface

Ciao Italia!

They Meet…

The Fantasy Ends…

Time to get back out there…

Mr. Brit

Mr. Rockstar

Mr. Italian

Mr. Disney Dad

Mr. Getty

The Return of Mr. Disney Dad

Mr. Valentine

Mr. Anesthesiologist

Mr. Tech

Mr. Military

Mr. Disney Dad (YET Again)

Do Men Love Bitches?

Mr. Disney Dad (The Finale)

The Slow Fade, Ghosting, and Blatant Honesty

Mr. Money

Mr. Restraining Order

Mr. Disney Dad

Mr. Fresh (Freshly divorced, that is)

The Road Traveled

The Healing Process

Within a year, I lost the two most important men in my life—the one I grew up with, and the one I married.

My dad raised me with his own hard-working hands. There I sat holding his hands as they went from warm to cold the day he died from a heart attack. I felt all the life drain out of his body at that moment. The once vibrant, intelligent, and husky, strong man I had known my whole life had now become limp and lifeless.

He had taught me how to weld with those hands, how to make model cars and airplanes, how to pitch a tent, how to wash dishes, and how to play guitar. His hands loved me unconditionally and now it was time to let them go.

The day of his funeral, it actually rained sideways. I had never seen rain like that before. And I knew every time that rain slapped me in the face, like his death, it was something I never wanted to be slapped with again.

Have you ever dreamt of going on a beautiful Italian vacation? Art, pizza, gelato, history, cobblestone streets, and ancient ghosts? It seemed it would always be a dream for me until it actually came true. About a year after my father died, my mom had saved up a bit of his life insurance money to travel. Dad had a heart attack at 62 and Mom had spent the past few years as his sole caretaker. Her grief—although saddening—was kind of a relief for her. This trip would be a reprieve and a gift from her husband of 45 years. And she wanted to take me!

I couldn’t wait to have my fill of museums, art, and history. We would retrace the