I set the gravy boat down on the table.
I untied my apron. The red one with the little holly leaves that Henry gave me the Christmas before he died. I folded it neatly and laid it next to the plate where I’d been told I couldn’t sit.
“You’re right,” I said.
Ryan blinked.
“What?”
“I cannot sit here.”
I walked into the front hallway and took my coat off the hook. I picked up my purse from the little table by the door.
“Mom?” Emily called after me. Her voice was thin.
I stopped at the front door with my hand on the knob.
I looked back once. At my dining room. At the candles I’d lit. At Linda in my chair with my wine.
At my daughter, holding a bowl of mashed potatoes she’d stopped noticing.
“The meal is finished,” I said. “The house is not.”
And I stepped out into the snowy Christmas evening, and closed the door behind me, and left them all sitting at my table.
I didn’t know where I was going. I just drove.
The streets were empty. Everybody was home with their families. Christmas lights blinked in every window I passed.
Six blocks from my house, near the Oakwood public library, there’s a little café called Chai and Chapter. It’s run by a widow named Mrs. Priya Rao. She’s seventy-two. She lost her husband the same year I lost Henry.
She stays open on Christmas Day. Every year. From noon till nine.
She told me once why.
“Loneliness doesn’t take holidays, Joan,” she said. “So neither do I.”
The bell over the door jingled when I walked in. There were only two other people inside. An elderly man reading a newspaper. A young nurse in scrubs eating soup alone.
Mrs. Rao looked up from behind the counter. She took one look at my face.
She didn’t ask any questions.
She just poured a cup of coffee, added cream the way I like it, and walked me to the quiet booth in the back corner by the bookshelves.
“Sit,” she said. “I’ll bring you pie.”
Lila Hart is a dedicated Digital Archivist and Research Specialist with a keen eye for preserving and curating meaningful content. At TheArchivists, she specializes in organizing and managing digital archives, ensuring that valuable stories and historical moments are accessible for generations to come.
Lila earned her degree in History and Archival Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where she cultivated her passion for documenting the past and preserving cultural heritage. Her expertise lies in combining traditional archival techniques with modern digital tools, allowing her to create comprehensive and engaging collections that resonate with audiences worldwide.
At TheArchivists, Lila is known for her meticulous attention to detail and her ability to uncover hidden gems within extensive archives. Her work is praised for its depth, authenticity, and contribution to the preservation of knowledge in the digital age.
Driven by a commitment to preserving stories that matter, Lila is passionate about exploring the intersection of history and technology. Her goal is to ensure that every piece of content she handles reflects the richness of human experiences and remains a source of inspiration for years to come.