On my 47th birthday, I set the table for three—one seat left heartbreakingly empty. Two years of silence from my daughter, Karen, had hardened into grief. But that night, a forgotten card in an old drawer shattered everything I thought I knew. I laid the last plate down gently, my hands trembling just a little. There were three places set at the table—one more than we needed.
The third plate, with the silverware tucked neatly beside it, sat in front of the empty chair. The same chair that hadn’t been used in two years. Still, I set it out every birthday. Like hope, it had become a habit I couldn’t let go of.
Brad stood by the sink, drying his hands with a towel so worn it looked like it had lived through a hundred family dinners. He noticed the extra plate.
“This one’s for Karen?” he asked quietly. His voice was soft, like he didn’t want to break something fragile.
I didn’t answer. I just nodded, my eyes on the place setting. The table looked too perfect.
Meatloaf sat steaming in the center, the smell warm and familiar.
The mashed potatoes were fluffed just right, with little pats of butter melting in the middle like yellow stars. And there it was—my birthday cake.
Small and round, with two candles shaped like a 4 and a 7 stuck right in the center. I didn’t even like cake anymore. Brad walked over and lit the candles. The little flames flickered, dancing like they were trying to cheer me up.
“Go ahead,” he said, giving me a small smile. But I could see it in his eyes. He was watching me closely, checking for cracks. I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I shook my head and looked at the empty chair across from me. It stared back, cold and silent.
Karen hadn’t sat there in two years. Two long years of silence. No calls. No texts. No birthday wishes.
I took a deep breath—one of those breaths that starts in your stomach and hurts by the time it reaches your chest.
Then I reached for my phone. Her contact still read “My Baby Girl.” I never changed it.
I called.
The phone rang and rang. It echoed in my ear like footsteps down a hallway that never ended. Then the call dropped.
“She’s still not ready,” I whispered, more to myself than to Brad.He didn’t say anything. He just walked over and pulled me into a hug. I crumbled.
The tears fell, fast and hot, spilling down my face like they had been waiting all day. I blew out the candles, and with that soft puff of air, I made one wish.
Just to hold her again. Just once.
