The Empty Reservation

Summary

I had booked the private dining room weeks in advance. The reservation was for five, a family dinner to celebrate my promotion.

But as the clock ticked past our agreed time, the chairs around me remained empty.

My wife, Sarah, was the first to text.

[Hey honey, a last-minute crisis at work. I’m stuck at the office. Can’t make it. So sorry!]

Almost immediately, my phone screen lit up with a barrage of notifications from our iMessage family group chat.

[Ethan, my best friend just got dumped. I have to go over to her place with wine and ice cream.] That was my younger sister, Mia.