EPILOGUE: A Chair Waiting for Me
I stayed four days. I sat by the lake with a book, watched the children swim, and spent a lovely afternoon talking with Sharon. Nobody handed me a grocery list or asked me to wash towels.
On my last evening, Greg made chili.
He had asked me for my recipe a week earlier.
There were sixteen people at the cabin and only fourteen chairs around the long picnic table on the deck.
I was sitting nearby, enjoying the sunset, when Greg came over.
“Mom, dinner’s ready.”
“I’ll be there in a minute, honey.”
He held out his hand.
“Come on. I’ve got your place ready.”
He walked me to the head of the table.
There was a padded chair with a pillow for my back. Beside my plate sat a small handwritten card.
Mom.
I looked at the chair, then at my son.
“Greg, there aren’t enough seats for everyone.”
He smiled.
“There’s enough for you.”
I sat down.
Greg and Megan served the chili, then carried their bowls into the kitchen, where they ate standing at the counter.
Halfway through dinner, Greg stepped back out onto the deck. He paused beside my chair.
“Mom, do you need anything?”
I looked up at him, remembering another summer, another bowl of chili, and a son who had walked past me without noticing I was on my feet.
This time, he waited for my answer.
“No, sweetheart,” I said. “I’ve got everything I need.”
He kissed the top of my head and went back inside.
Beyond the table, the lake was turning gold in the evening light. I could hear the children laughing, the soft clatter of dishes, and Megan asking Greg whether he wanted more cornbread.
I thought of Thomas standing at our kitchen sink in his ridiculous turkey apron, singing a Neil Diamond song.
Judy cooked. Judy sits.
I rested my hands on the table and looked at the little card beside my plate.
For the first time in years, there was a chair waiting for me.
And I hadn’t needed to ask for it.
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
