The silent couple sits
shuffling in their chairs
whilst the waiters bustle around.
Their phones turned down,
threatening to disrupt the silence.
Then the vibration beckons.
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
