Reconciliation

Last night, from the next room of this hotel,
I heard the sound of shattering glass
in the middle of nowhere, followed by
the loud voice of a man and the stifled scream
of a woman. When I placed my ear close to the wall
I could hear curses, masked by the humming of a radio.
I wished the wall separating us didn’t exist
so that they would stop quarreling at the sight of a stranger.

Today, from the next table of this restaurant
I saw her smile at the joke he just said.
As the soft music played, she held his hands in hers
while he loosened the grip around the wine glass.
After what seemed like an eternity,
they moved around the table a little closer.
She held a mysterious smile at the corner of her lips
and he hid tears behind his eyelashes.

The hotel was empty except for me and the couple.
I wish I had their children by my side to witness the scene.

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