1Passage1Family.LoveAfter21yearsofmarriage,mywifewantedmetotakeanotherwomanouttodinnerandamovie.Shesaid,"Iloveyou,butIknowthisotherwomanlovesyoutoo,andshewouldlovetospendsometimewithyou."TheotherwomanthatmywifewantedmetovisitwasmyMOTHER,whohasbeenawidowfor19years,butthedemandsofmyworkandmythreechildrenhadmadeitpossibletovisitheronlyoccasionally.ThatnightIcalledtoinvitehertogooutfordinnerandamovie."What'swrong,areyouwell?"sheasked.Mymotheristhetypeofwomanwhosuspectsthatalatenightcallorasurpriseinvitationisasignofbadnews."Ithoughtthatitwouldbepleasanttospendsometimewithyou,"Iresponded."Justthetwoofus."Shethoughtaboutitforamoment,andthensaid,"Iwouldlikethatverymuch."ThatFridayafterwork,asIdroveovertopickherup,Iwasabitnervous.WhenIarrivedatherhouse,Inoticedthatshe,too,seemedtobenervousaboutourdate.Shewaitedinthedoorwithhercoaton.Shehadcurledherhairandwaswearingthedressthatshehadworntocelebrateherlastweddinganniversary.Shesmiledfromafacethatwasasradiantasanangel's."ItoldmyfriendsthatIwasgoingtogooutwithmyson,andtheywereimpressed,"shesaid,asshegotintothecar."Theycan'twaittohearaboutourmeeting."Wewenttoarestaurantthat,althoughnotelegant,wasveryniceandcozy.MymothertookmyarmasifsheweretheFirstLady.Afterwesatdown,Ihadtoreadthemenu.Hereyescouldonlyreadlargeprint.Halfwaythroughtheentries,IliftedmyeyesandsawMomsittingtherestaringatme.Anostalgicsmilewasonherlips."ItwasIwhousedtohavetoreadthemenuwhenyouweresmall,"shesaid."Thenit'stimethatyourelaxandletmereturnthefavor,"Iresponded.Duringthedinner,wehadanagreeableconversation-nothingextraordinarybutcatchinguponrecenteventsofeachother'slife.Wetalkedsomuchthatwemissedthemovie.Aswearrivedatherhouselater,shesaid,"I'llgooutwithyouagain,butonlyifyouletmeinviteyou."Iagreed."Howwasyourdinnerdate?"askedmywifewhenIgothome."Verynice.MuchmoresothanIcouldhaveimagined,"Ianswered.Afewdayslater,mymotherdiedofamassiveheartattack.IthappenedsosuddenlythatIdidn'thaveachancetodoanythingforher.Sometimelater,Ireceivedanenvelopewithacopyofarestaurantrec...
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