Dinner Time
As she walked in the door, they were bustling about the table
The three of them were placing the light green plates, the daily flatware, and
Smoked blown glasses
The glasses sang a tinkling sound against the flatware
There was the light music of guitars in the background
They looked up and smiled
"You always do everything and we decided to treat you"
"I cut out early and picked up the girls at Jean's"
"I cooked chicken and we all cut up vegetables to make a salad"
"Did you wash them off?"
The light of the kitchen reflected in their eyes and off of their white teeth
As they laughed
"What?"
The kitchen smelled warm like something had been baking all day
The youngest tried to stop giggling and answer her mother
He turned with a look that could only have started deep within
"I told them that you'd say that"
And as her smile started across her face, she took her coat off
"What?"
She hung it and her day on its peg trying not to laugh at herself as the others began
To talk of their day
"How's that Bobby?"
A red face glowed up from her plate placing, with steady hands she placed the
Next plate, silence
The youngest again giggled at her older sister
Knowing that this week it wasn't Bobby but a Robby who was the dreamy one
The warm talk matched the warmth inside the house and each other
The cold and their day slipped off as sleep slides off at the beginning of consciousness each
New morning
He kissed her on the cheek, chucked each girl's chin as he brought in the chicken
As they sat to eat, he knew that it was moments like this that lasted
Even if the memory was better than the event
Chatter was as light as the salad dressing and as casual as the cat
Somewhere else in the house
"Well thank you all, it was very good and best of all I had to do was eat"
She wondered what he wanted, but that thought slided away quickly
Like leftover dishwater down the drain
After dinner he turned on the news of the day, she changed clothes but went directly to the
Computer
The oldest held hostage the phone, and the youngest played with dolls in the den
Dinner was not preserved in amber