The room
is bright and cheery
A small
chandelier dangles delicately above a round table for two
I open my
bag and carefully place the dishes on the table
My wife
comes in the room guided by a large friendly orderly
He places
her gently in the chair
Mrs. Roberts it looks like your
husband brought you a tasty meal. You’re one lucky lady
A tear
falls on my plate
I brought your favorite, roasted garlic
chicken, mashed potatoes, and asparagus
I take her
hand and place it in mine
Our
wedding bands brush up against each other
She jerks
it away
Calls the
orderly over and him to take her back to her room
Which he
does without questioning
My eyes
flood with tears as I finish the dinner I cooked for the two of us
No one
bothers to look at me
For almost
six months this has happened every Friday
I miss my
wife
I miss our
shared meals
