By Jason Geary.

The waiter left and the opportunity to set things right went with him. Greg’s stomach churned. The smell from the kitchen was like a sirens song. He grew hungrier by the second. His wife had thought it a novel idea to order the Turkish bread with home-made dip trio before the main course.

“Something special for a special occasion.” She said taking his hand in hers and patting it delicately.

It was their seventeenth wedding anniversary, indeed a reason to celebrate, though Greg had mistimed his charge. He’d eaten a light lunch in anticipation of the gastronomic delights that awaited them both this evening. His hunger was mountainous and his wife was a flutter. The last thing he wanted was to start a fight. He bit his tongue and smiled a smile that told her he loved her. She stopped patting his hand as the bread arrived. Four narrow shards of bread accompanied by three tiny saucers of dip. Greg managed two half mouthfuls before it was gone. His wife commented on the flavours in each bite as though she had just discovered spring. It made him smile.

The waiter returned, “How was that?”

Greg replied, “Great thank you, very tasty.” He sat an inch taller while making an obvious show of shifting his attention to the menu. “I’ll have the…”

“Another dip platter please.” With those four words Greg’s wife broke his heart.

“Very well.” Said the waiter then he was gone.

Greg looked at his wife trying to hold his heartbreak at bay.

She smiled back oblivious, “It is a special night.”

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