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She givesher eyes ontome at all until now

She offers a tiny, shriveled little smile “Hello there, Bobby”

I’ her son and Anthony, and how it resulted inme a black eye

She has nothing at all to do with it, so I put her at ease at once with a war smile

It does the trick The relief is instant She leans in toward me and, under her breath, says, “If you ask me, I think Anthony Myers is a little shit, and it’s he who should a’ lost his dang job, not you”

She reaches her bony hand out and gives ers of hers, and my shoulder feels every one of them

I s “Thank you, Nadine”

“Don’t thank me It’s just the plain truth You know, so much has happened to oin’ under, and all the drama down at the restaurant … it really makes one reevaluate what’s important in life” She bites her lip, then peers off “Billy has been a … a really great ht that football-kickin’ son of mine would never be happy, y’know that? And now look at him”

I follow her line of sight and spot both of them, Billy and his husband Tanner, dressed up in fancy tuxes standing by the long table full of an assort sweet and chocolaty, and the pair of the into one another’s eyes

It pains me, to look at them

I want to be happy for them I want to see what Nadine sees But all I see is what I’ve lost

And it hurts

“Maybe it’s about tio of the past,” Nadine decides “I’ve wasted sowith the McPhersons, or the Whiths, unable to utter any ht to just set s My sons My husband My friends And …” She nods with resolve “And the future of Nadine’s The Cold Spoon has had its run, and it was a good, long run”