Based on 292 community votes, the most popular answer to “The Empty Chair at the End of the Table” is “Go visit his old army buddy” — chosen by 35% of voters.
Category: heartwarming • Theme: 🧵 Family Bonds
I still set the empty chair at the end of the table closest to the kitchen. Mom never told me to. She also never told me to stop. Dad used to sit there on weekends, when he was home between trips. I don’t remember the first time he left, only that his duffel scraped the doorframe and the zipper teeth made this metal sound I can still hear. He said he would count the days. Six years, four months, and eleven days he kept track. I heard Mom say that once into the phone when she thought I was doing homework. I remember the school gymnasium where he walked in during the spring concert unannounced. The floor smelled like old mop water and popcorn salt. He was in uniform and holding a clear waterproof case, stuffed with my drawings, edges all curled. He sat in the folding chair beside mine and didn’t say much, just opened a granola bar and put half on my music stand. We both looked straight ahead. Two years after that, he did not come home. There was a hospital room instead, machines clicking. I got there with two minutes to spare; the nurse said I could talk if I wanted. Now the empty chair is still set at every meal. I memorized his deployment mailbox address when I was eight. I still write it on the back of receipts. What would YOU do?
Join the debate and cast your vote at Life Theater.