>>> WELCOME BACK.
IT’S BEEN JUST OVER SIX MONTHS
SINCE OUR DEAR FRIEND, BOBBIE
THOMAS, TODAY’S STYLE EDITOR
LOST HER HUSBAND.
>> EVERYBODY THAT KNEW BOBBIE
KNOWS SHE WEARS HER HEART
SQUARELY ON HER SLEEVE.
WHEN BOBBIE REALIZED THAT
OPENING UP ABOUT HER OWN JOURNEY
COULD POSSIBLY HELP SOMEPLACE
ELSE, SHE KNEW RIGHT AWAY IT WAS
THE RATE TIME TO SHARE, NOT JUST
HER GRIEF, BUT HER COURAGE AND
GRATITUDE.
>> I DON’T NEED TO BE TOLD THERE
WAS A SILVER LINING OR A BIGGER
REASON.
THERE ISN’T.
AND THAT IS OKAY FOR ME TO FEEL.
AT THE SAME TIME, I’M ALSO
HOLDING GRATITUDE.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE
GRATITUDE FOR, BOBBIE?
>> MY SON.
AND I HAVE GRATITUDE FOR BEING
LOVED.
>> A LOVE THAT WAS SEALED ON A
GLORIOUS SUMMER DAY WHEN BOBBIE
GOT MARRIED AT KATHIE LEE’S
HOUSE.
>> I REMEMBER IT SO VIVIDLY.
IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
DAYS.
>> I WAS SO SCARED AND I
REMEMBER KATHIE LEE SAYING THIS
IS HAPPENING.
WE’RE WALKING.
MICHAEL WAS JUST SO HAPPY.
>> I PROMISE TO ALWAYS SUPPORT
YOU AND LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY
AND TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AS LONG
AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE.
>> HE WOULD JUST LOOK ACROSS THE
ROOM AND SAY, HEY, WE’VE GOT A
REALLY GOOD THING, RIGHT?
YEAH.
WE WERE SO DEEPLY BOUND.
>> THAT WAS BOND CARRIED MICHAEL
AND BOBBIE THROUGH THE GOOD
TIMES AND THE CHALLENGING ONES.
SHORTLY AFTER THEIR FAIRYTALE
WEDDING IN 2013, BOBBIE AND
MICHAEL PUBLICLY SHARED THEIR
VERY PERSONAL JOURNEY TO
PARENTHOOD.
>> IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE
CHILDREN, BUT TO MAKE THEM, TOO.
>> WE CELEBRATED ALONGSIDE THEM
WHEN THEY REVEALED THEY WERE
EXPECTING.
>> SAY THAT AGAIN.
BOBBIE IS PREGNANT.
>> SHE IS PREGNANT.
>> THANK GOD.
>> AND WHEN THEY WELCOMED LITTLE
MILES INTO THEIR LIVES.
BUT FOUR YEARS LATER AT JUST 40,
MICHAEL WOULD SUFFER A STROKE
WHILE ON A BUSINESS TRIP.
REMARKABLY, HE RECOVERED.
THEN IN THE FALL OF 2020,
MICHAEL DEVELOPED A BACTERIAL
INFECTION THAT LED TO
COMPLICATIONS HE COULD NOT
OVERCOME.
>> WHEN WE HEARD THE NEWS THAT
MICHAEL HAD PASSED, IT WAS SO
DEAF STATING AND SHOCKING.
WAS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU
EXPECTED?
>> IT WAS FIVE WEEKS IN THE ICU
AND IT WAS JUST ONE THING AFTER
THE OTHER, LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT.
IT WAS MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE.
I KNEW HE HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED
WITH SOMETHING RARE BEFORE WE
GOT MARRIED.
IT HAD TO DO WITH HIS IMMUNE
SYSTEM.
AND IT WAS ALWAYS POSITIONED AS
CHRONIC AND MANAGEABLE.
DEEP INSIDE, I KNEW THAT WE MAY
NOT BE HOLDING HANDS AT 80, 90.
>> BUT BOBBIE CHERISHES THE TIME
SHE DID HAVE WITH MICHAEL.
>> WHEN MICHAEL AND I WERE GOING
THROUGH SOME OF THE HARDEST
TIMES, ITS WAS SO SIMPLE.
THAT SIMPLICITY WAS MAGIC.
YOU WOKE UP, YOU WORRIED ABOUT
WHAT MATTERED AND YOU WERE SO
GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAD.
>> SO WEIRD TO THINK ABOUT
LITTLE CONVERSATIONS, OH, MY
HUSBAND DID THIS, MY HUSBAND DID
THAT.
>> IT’S OKAY.
MY FRIENDS STILL CALL ME AND,
YOU KNOW, WE’LL DO THE -- OH,
THIS HAPPENED.
AND YOU FEEL ASHAMED FOR BEING
IN PAIN, BUT YOU STILL WANT
PEOPLE TO SHARE THINGS WITH YOU
AND MAKE YOU FEEL CONNECTED.
BUT IT IS WILD TO EXPERIENCE THE
CLARITY.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> IN THE MIDDLE OF A
CONVERSATION, TO WANT TO SUPPORT
YOUR FRIEND AND HER PERSPECTIVE
OF WHAT’S HAPPENING, BUT TO
DEEPLY FEEL THE CLARITY OF IT
DOESN’T MATTER.
WHO CARES THAT HE DIDN’T DO THE
LAUNDRY.
I’M SORRY IT’S ANNOYING, BUT
HE’S HERE.
AND I WAKE UP TRYING TO FIND
SOME T-SHIRTS THAT STILL SMELL
LIKE MICHAEL.
WHICH WEREN’T WASHED, YOU KNOW?
>> SUBWAYS ARE TRAINS THAT
TRAVEL UNDERGROUND.
>> AND AT JUST 5, THEIR SON,
MILES, IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO
COPE.
>> THAT’S THE MOST PAINFUL
BECAUSE I’M HIS MOM.
ONE NIGHT AT BEDTIME, HE ASKED
ME WHO INVENTED IT AND WHY.
AND I THOUGHT, HE’S GOING TO ASK
ME ABOUT A TRUCK OR SOMETHING.
AND HE SAID THIS LIFE.
I WAS STUNNED.
AND HE’S LIKE, I JUST DON’T
UNDERSTAND WHY WE ALL CAN’T BE
ANGELS.
AND HE WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW WE COULD ALL BE TOGETHER.
>> OH, MY GOD.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK MICHAEL
WOULD BE THINKING RIGHT NOW OF
YOU AND MILES AND WHERE YOU ARE
IN THIS MOMENT?
>> HE HAD THIS EASINESS TO HIM.
AND I WAS ALWAYS STRESSING OUT.
HE WOULD JUST BE LIKE, IT’S
OKAY.
IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY.
>> HE ALWAYS DID SAY THAT,
DIDN’T HE?
>> I THINK HE’S PROBABLY TRYING
TO TELL ME IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY
IN SOME WAY.
>> IS IT GOING TO BE OKAY?
>> I HOPE SO.
I’M SO SCARED.
>> YOU SAID IN THIS MOMENT I’M
SO LUCKY.
HOW?
>> INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT
THAT I LOST HIM, I THINK THE
LITTLE TIME HE HAD HE GAVE TO
ME.
I’M REALLY, REALLY LUCKY.
>> AND BOBBIE IS OBVIOUSLY IN A
LOT OF GRIEF, BUT SHE SAYS THAT
THAT GRIEF IS -- SHE ACTUALLY
SITS WITH THAT BECAUSE IT
REMINDS HER OF HOW MUCH SHE
LOVED AND LOVES HIM, SHE SAID
SHE’S MORE IN LOVE TODAY, TODAY,
YOU KNOW, ON THAT DAY THAN SHE
HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT HER MARRIAGE
TO MICHAEL.
AND THE OTHER THING SHE SAID
WHICH STRUCK ME WAS WE’RE
THINKING ABOUT REACHING OUT TO
SOMEBODY AND YOU’RE AFRAID, SHE
WAS LIKE, JUST DO IT.
JUST DO IT.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE’RE AFRAID.
AND I TOLD HER WHEN I LEFT,
SAVANNAH WAS LIKE, PLEASE.
AND I SAID, SAVANNAH WHEN I
LEFT, EVERYONE IS EMBRACING YOU,
WE HAVE OUR ARMS AROUND YOU.
AND SHE GOT WEEPY AND SHE SAID
THAT’S MY OTHER FAMILY.
>> I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
JUST WHAT SHE’S DOING AMAZES ME.
SHE’S JUST SO STRONG BUT SHE’S
ALSO SINCERE AND SHE TELLS THE
TRUTH.
AND IT HURTS, BUT SHE’S ALSO
THAT LOVE THAT SHE’S FEELING FOR
MICHAEL AND MISSING HIM, THAT
MEANS A LOT TO MILES, TOO.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT LOVE.
>> THE IDEA THAT SHE SAID SHE’S
NOT SURE IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK IS
HEALING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, HER
SINCERITY.
>> AND SHE ALMOST FELT GUILTY
ABOUT FEELING BAD.
SHE SAID DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY
MORE PEOPLE HAVE LOST PEOPLE
OVER THIS PANDEMIC.
SHE SAID WHEN PEOPLE SAY IT’S
GOING TO GET BETTER, YOU’RE
GOING TO MEET SOMEONE.
SHE SAID PLEASE DON’T SAY THOSE
KIND OF THINGS.
>> THERE’S NO RIGHT WAY TO