The host asks: Just one tonight?
I smile and nod
The window catches a little rain
A candle leans toward the glass
The room keeps talking around me

The second chair stays where it is
No one comes to pull it closer
I fold the menu once, then twice
Order the wine I always liked
Not the one we used to share
The candle leans toward the glass

The waiter waits beside the table
Pen ready in his hand
For a second, old habits arrive
Then quietly leave again

Tonight I ordered dessert for one
And nobody had to agree
The plate arrived exactly as I wanted
Sweet enough to finish slowly
A table for one isn't empty
It's finally shaped like me

The spoon taps softly on the dish
A small sound in a crowded room
Someone laughs across the hallway
Someone reaches for another hand
The candle leans toward the glass
And keeps its balance somehow

I thought healing would be louder
Something everyone could see
But sometimes it's choosing the chocolate cake
And taking the last bite peacefully
My life fits inside this evening

Tonight I ordered dessert for one
And nobody had to agree
The plate arrived exactly as I wanted
Sweet enough to finish slowly
A table for one isn't empty
It's finally shaped like me

The check rests beside the coffee cup
Rain drifts down the window
The candle leans toward the glass
Still burning
After everyone leaves