Conversation stays light and airy with the under currents of the impending sadness.
the little kids run around
and the teenagers act like teens:
tough
harassing the little ones
annoying the adults
and bouts of intellectual acuity and real empathy-and-compassion
Then one of the teenage boys can't handle the sadness that is
as obvious as would be a hole in the floor where once stood the kitchen table
and breaks down slowly,
almost imperceptibly at first,
the feelings show first in the down turned eyes,
The controlled quivering of his lower lip.
Grief and Loss fills his soul for things not yet real, but it feels as if the very heart of the family is being ripped out.
Then he moves closer to the one soon to depart for parts unknown
And the-one gently touches his chin as if to transfer pure energy and love in hopes of calming the anguish in the boy.
Then the teen boy with a few drops of tears, buries his face into the-one's hand.
The-one looks deeply into the boy, to try to help him maintain control, this is America after all, and boys that are almost men are not allowed to cry.
The emotion of the impending grief is too overwhelming for the boy and he throws away all the societal bullshit rules, "not in public", "don't make a scene while we are at 'this restaurant'", the embarrassment, fear of ridicule, and the greatest lie; men-don't-cry.
And the boy moves into the-ones lap, hugging tightly, crying.
The boy hangs on not wanting to let go, his body trembles and with each inhale almost convulses to catch his breath between the crying that does not seem to have an end.
This very private moment shared in public.
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