The table was ready long before anyone arrived. Seven plates were set beneath the soft glow of candles, the cloth napkins had been ironed that morning, and dinner waited in the kitchen for six adult children who were supposed to come home for their mother’s 60th birthday.
At first, she told herself not to worry. Her children had jobs, spouses, families, errands, and busy calendars. A late arrival was not unusual. Even an hour could be explained away.
But as the evening stretched on, the silence in the dining room became harder to ignore.
The empty chairs seemed louder than any argument the house had ever held.