how to mend a broken heart

“honey…” she tried to confront him. He turned to his phone that was ringing incessantly.

“I need to take this. Just a minute honey” he promised. Her tears were falling back as he turned his back on her and talked to his gadget. People around her beamed at her while she tried to wait for chris to come back.

“would you like more wine miss?” asked the waiter while showing her a bottle of red wine. She had not taken notice of the label and quickly said “yes” to ease her nerves.

“I’m so sorry honey. That was my boss.” He said. It had seemed as though he had forgotten why they were out for dinner that night. It even seemed as though he had forgotten that they had been together for 5 years. It was their anniversary.

“honey. I need to tell you something” she said. Just then the waiter came from the kitchen with a dish on both hands for each of them.

“oh good. Dinner is here” he said in relief. Her eyes were getting heavier and heavier as the waiter flicked his match and soon enough her dish was blazing in fire.

“isn’t this great honey. Just you and me… no work for a week.” He said happily. He was clearly unaware of her staring at him and waiting for him to listen to her even when she was not talking. He fixed his table napkin on his lap and he got his knife and fork and cut through the steak he had just gotten from the waiter.

“honey.” She attempted again.

“what?” he said. His hands were each holding a utensil and were resting on the white table cloth.

“I’m…” she started before she was clearly interrupted by the phone call chris got again.

“I’m sorry honey. Let me take this.” He excused himself and got up again.

Her food stopped burning and she ate quietly her chicken. The food was great but the flavor was washed away by her tears that were flowing down. She ate while waiting for him to come back again.

“miss. Are you okay?” asked the table beside her. She nodded in denial and continued eating. The old couple beside her handed a handkerchief.

“your husband doesn’t know what he has here.” Said the old man in black suit. she stiffened her upper lip and waited for him to come back again.

“honey.” She said as soon as he sat down.

“I’m so glad that was over. Let’s eat now.” He invited. He had just forgotten that she was going to tell him something. She put her fork and knife together at the right side of her plate. She wasn’t finished with dinner yet, but she was through with him.

“honey.” She started again.

“aren’t you going to eat?” he asked ignoring what she had to say. He kept on chewing incessantly his steak which he kept remarking as “superb!”

“no.” she said.

“we should get a doggy bag. Maybe you’d like to finish later” he said. She put her hands together and just kept crying. He didn’t notice her until the waiter handed over the desserts.

“honey!” he exclaimed in worry. “is the food here that bad?” he ignorantly asked.

“honey. it’s not that anymore.” she started to tell him it was over and she was leaving him for good; pregnant or not. his phone beeped again. he flipped open his phone in excitement.

“honey look. My friends invited us over this weekend to the beach.” He inserted again. he got up again and quickly dialed his friend’s number while she was left again.

Realizing that she’d never be worth anything to chris, she stood up and he came back after seeing her about to leave.

“honey. not here.” He whispered embarrassingly. He had just noticed every couple in the area glaring at him. She opened her purse and slammed $300 to his chest.

“here’s my share for tonight” she said. He was just starting to realize the brevity of the moment.

“honey. I can pay for tonight” he giggled. He rested his arm behind her and tried to encourage her to sit down again.

“you didn’t hesitate to pay for tonight. But you also didn’t hesitate to make me your option chris.” She said bluntly and she stormed out of the restaurant. Every glaring eye turned away and noise came back from each table. They all resumed talking about things he never paid attention to.

he pulled out a box from his pocket and opened his diamond ring for her. with regret; he closed his tiny box of dreams and sat back down and ate dinner by himself.