“…Oh and remember when we visited that nice little church back there??.” 

“Yes, Dear.”

"And you remember how we walked on the beach, that was so lovely. We should go to another holiday!"

“Yes, Dear.”

Blaablaablaa blaa blaablaa…

That was all Eric heard. He sat down at the dinner table at his parents house like he had done every Sunday for the past umpteenth years of his life. He sighed and played with the carrot on his plate. The tenderloin with cream sauce and potatoes did not taste this time. 

He poked the carrot another time and it seemed to be laughing at him. He sighed again.  

Usually this event, having the Sunday dinner at his parents house was not a nuisance. He was used to listening his mother rambling about what ever work she had been up to recently. His father usually being quiet, allowing his wife to take over the conversations. It had been his routine for so long. The dinners were usually a quiet event, a joyable one, only to meet, eat and greet. They also talked about what ever came into their mind just spend time as a family. Usually, that is. In the past few months the dinners had become more lively when he had brought his companion with him. 

“Oh Eric, did you hear the news about your sister Oh, isn’t it exiting?  The family is going to be bigger soon!"

“Yes, Mother.”

“We are so proud of her aren't we?"

“Yes, Dear.”

“Oh, that reminds me, Darling we need to get her something for her as a present…Maybe some new clothes, or something that could be useful. I think we should try to find her something from downtown yes we need to visit there tomorrow.”

“Yes, Dear.”

Blaa blaa blaa…

Eric was feeling a bit down. Not because of this dinner but because he missed the one person who was not there keeping him company. The fourth chair around the oval table was empty.

He was not really in the mood to listen his mother’s continuous roll of speech. Sometimes he could not understand how such a lady could be such a chatterbox during dinner, wasn’t it against the etiquette of dinner or something?

But that was not the issue here. Eric actually wanted to be elsewhere. He wanted to be at home, under the bed covers and mope. No, on the second thought that was not it… If he would have wanted to do that he would have stayed home and gotten nuts with the emptiness of his house. He was becoming pathetic. His significant other had only gone for the weekend to visit his own family and friends and would be back by the next weekend. 

Eric missed their time together. And he would mope until his beloved one was back at home.

He poked the carrot again for revenge.