The silent couple sits

shuffling in their chairs

whilst the waiters bustle around.

Their phones faced down,

threatening to disrupt the silence.

Then the vibration beckons.

With a quick flip of the phone,

a stolen look at the screen

and an internal relief that there’s something to focus on.

When the food comes

shoulders relax and eyes light up.

Conversation can resume.

A “lovely” steak and some “delicious” pasta

is enough fodder for ten minutes of talk.

Then the blanket of quiet covers the couple again.

The bill is paid and hands are joined

as they shuffle outside.

Travelling home, they talk of their evening

(with rose-tinted glasses).

And this helps bind them together;

pulling a veil over all the awkward evenings.

Photo by Willian West on Unsplash