There Was an Extra Place at the Table for My Late Husband—That’s When My Son Went Pale

made my breath catch.

Four plates.

Four wine glasses.

Four sets of silverware arranged with mathematical precision.

Four napkins with their little herb garnishes.

I counted the people in the house: Michael, Vanessa, me. Three. There were only three of us.

My eyes tracked to the fourth setting, positioned at the head of the table in what I immediately recognized continue reading …