Do You Want Me to Go?: A Short Story

by Adriana Trigiani

For a marriage on life support, it’s never too late for self-discovery in a bittersweet short story about secrets, betrayals, and forgiveness by New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani.

Tommy Cordero always likes watching his wife, Denise, make an entrance, and never more so than when she comes through the door of his hospital room. He’s looking for words of comfort—after all, his lungs are shot—but Denise is looking for honesty. In their forty-six years together, Tommy considers they’ve done well. Denise and their children have never wanted for a comfortable home, cars, vacations. Surely that outweighs a couple moments of weakness? But Denise is ready to unpack his assumptions, and Tommy is in for some revelations. He’s getting to know his wife for the very first time.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Romance

30 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2026

About the author

Join Adriana Trigiani and the great authors and luminaries of our time on the YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ PODCAST! Available wherever you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/adrianatrigiani

Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is "a master of palpable and visual detail" (Washington Post) and "a comedy writer with a heart of gold" (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People's Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana's screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.

Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.

Reviews

[Teresa Eger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Powerful Reminder of Love and Forgiveness

Sitting here waiting on my husband’s biopsy results for possible prostate cancer, this story hit me deeply. After 45 years of marriage, it brought back so many thoughts—memories of love, mistakes, and everything in between.

We all fail each other at times… that’s part of being human. But what this story so beautifully reminds us is that forgiveness—especially in those final moments—is everything. It brings peace, not just to the one we love, but to our own hearts as well.

This wasn’t just a story for me—it was personal, emotional, and a powerful reminder of what truly matters in the end.

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do You Want Me to Go? by Adriana Trigiani (2026)
30-page Kindle Ebook story pages 5-29

Genre: Literary Fiction, Short Story

Rating as a movie: PG-13

Featuring: Hospital, Sexagenarians, Marital Issues, Calabrese Italians, New Jersey, Deathbed

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🏨💔🏵🫀🫁😷

My thoughts: Meh. I was under the impression this was going to be a Mystery Suspense Thriller, but it most certainly was not. The writing and characters were the main reasons it got 3 stars, the plot was lacking for a short story.

Recommend to others: No, to be honest.

Memorable Quotes: “I never cared about the money.” “Because you have no respect for it.” “It was never important to me.” “That’s why you’ve made a career of giving it away?”

[Tulip_OnTheTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Drama in a Small Package! 🎭

This was my first time reading Adriana Trigiani and I’m officially intrigued! This short story was fast-paced, dramatic, and really good. It’s the kind of writing that makes you immediately curious about what else the author has tucked away in her backlist. ✨

I love some toxic energy in my books so this one was right up my alley, okay! 🤭 Short stories are the perfect palate cleanser after weeks of diving into full-length novels. They give you that emotional punch without the long-term commitment and this one delivered. 🍧📖

The Aftermath 🌷:
This was a solid four-star read for me and I hope it’s one for you too. If you’re looking for a quick, dramatic escape, definitely check it out!

[meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do You Want Me To Go?: ★ ★ ★ ★

Adriana Trigiani

“Being alone isn’t a sad proposition—being with someone for whom you are not enough is brutal. It’s a prison. It’s isolation and humiliation and pain.”

A quick story that reinforces how important it is to get married to the right person even if it takes you time to find them.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness

[TheBookNookBabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quote about how people won’t always remember what you say but will always remember how you made them feel is all I can think of having read this.

[Danielle Goddard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short listen 🎧 but didn’t really grip me. Didn’t like the way it was narrated. Wasn’t in pov of the characters.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A witty, bittersweet short story centering on regret, forgiveness, and redemption.

[Jaiden English · Rating 2 out of 5]

may this type of life never find me

[Riley Poling · Rating 1 out of 5]

well that whole thing was depressing

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy and Denise’s 46 years together vividly portrayed in just 30 pages

This is the first time I’ve purchased a short story. One of my favorite authors proves her talent in making me understand Tommy and Denise as individuals and a husband and wife in love while being at odds with each other. Excellent!

[Jo Lynn Bruno-Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying that I love Adriana Trigiani. I have read virtually everything she has ever written. This short story from Amazon Prime was a lovely little gift.
It takes place in one afternoon, maybe only an hour or so, in a hospital room. A man is dying and this is the last conversation with his wife.
Tommy and Denise have been married for over 40 years. While the marriage was basically a good one, there were times when it wasn't. As Tommy struggles to breathe, Denise wants closure. That sounds callous, I know, but in Adriana's hand it is touching and honest. As they argue about their views of life, they somehow grow closer and as Tommy's life ends, Denise gains the strength to begin again.

[Margerm, Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thirty page book that is short and sweet. It could be an epilogue set for forty years in the future for many marriage in trouble stories. The husband and wife share their perspectives on their forty-six years together while facing the end of his life in a hospital bed. He saw his role as a provider and she valued presence over presents. He strayed three times in their marriage and doesn't seem to acknowledge the impact of those choices considering them to be in the past. Did the characters grow?

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 2 out of 5]

BOOK REPORT

⭐ 2 ⭐

If my hair were _just_ a little bit longer I could hang myself with it.

Which is pretty much what I wanted to do after finishing this excruciatingly depressing (albeit well-written) short story.

Glad I didn’t read it as my bedtime story, otherwise I probably would’ve had bad dreams.

Finding myself quite baffled as to all of the 5-star ratings. And I say that as someone who has been married 27-plus-years, not all of them just filled with sunshine and roses.

Ah, well. To each his/her/their own.

[Sarah Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed something different after reading a lot of suspense and thriller stories and this one appeared to fit the bill.

It was just okay to me. As a husband is dying, his wife reflects on their 46 year marriage and all the mistakes made along the way.

While their parting words to each other were sweet and I respect that she ultimately shows him grace, all I could think about as I was reading this was how tumultuous their marriage sounded and how they were never on the same page. I also truly didn’t expect this to be as anticlimactic as it was.

2.5 stars ⭐️

[Page Passion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed an emotional punch for a short story. A family man and philandering husband is in the hospital due to his pulmonary issues, and his wife of 40-plus years comes to visit him. She loves this man even though he's clearly given her hell with the women he cheated with. She confronts him while at the same time having to say goodbye to the only man she's ever loved and built a life with. Emotional, funny, and at times infuriating (he was glib about cheating lol), but I loved every minute of this and need to read more from this author.

[Lynnette Swann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional short story

This author is exceptional as well. I have read every book she has written. This short story grabbed me from the first page. I did not stop until I finished the last page. Anyone who has been married and those who are married or divorced will discover truth and meaning throughout this story. I am in awe of this author's brilliance,creativeness,and genius.

[Donnalocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

I like this authors books but this was just mostly the story of a u forgiving ungrateful wife barely
giving her husband the grace he needed to die at peace. Yes they made up but let this be a reminder why we need to forgive and give each other kindness

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbled on this one. Short story by Adriana Trigiani about the final moments of a solid, mostly good husband and his loving, long suffering wife as they relive and rehash his imperfections and her dreams - one last time. Enjoyed it.

[Amy Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, it was ok. Nothing captivating or truly heart grabbing. It was short enough that I finished. But I didn’t really feel any heart or soul. Just 2 people who’ve probably never really been on the same page.

[Full of Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella packed one heck of a punch. It was about a marriage and all the failings within it. It was about how horribly own can behave and how despite it all one chose to stay all the way until the end.

[Jenn Reichmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this short little Sopranos style story. This definitely felt like a conversation that Tony would’ve had with Carmela! I just couldn’t help thinking that this couple would have benefited from reading “The Five Love Languages” maybe decades ago!?

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last rites

A poignant short story about a married couple trying to come to terms with impending death. The dynamics of and their different perspectives on their marriage were very sad.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick short read

Married for 46 years, a successful businessman, and still dying. Tommy can't make it make sense. His wife Denise decides to confront him. 46 years of marriage carries alot of grievances. Quick easy read.

[Joanne S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful touching

A raw emotional short story. I was touched by the emotion and honesty the characters had about their life together. A very thought provoking read in so few words,

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This was a good, short, short story. Typical husband and wife regrets, blessings, shortcomings and life together when faced with death.

[Amanda Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet romance full of love, forgiveness, and being the best parts of each other.

[Louise Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

From someone who has read every one of her books, this one was not up to her standard. Maybe because I’m not doing well right now with my reading, but this one just fell short.

[Carol Wit · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a better woman than me, I guess. I would have left the ass years ago.

[Susan Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book for me

The most important aspect of this book for me was that it focused on a marriage between two people who were both imperfect but still capable of love.