Dennis took his seat at the dinner table, and poured gravy over his pork chops and mashed potatoes. His parents’ forks clinked against their plates, and nobody spoke. The silence was dreadful. Not because it was stifling or because there was some elephant in the room that none dared mention, but because it always had to be broken.

“So, Honey...um...the chops. The chops turned out very good, didn’t they. Good cuts on sale at the butcher?” Dennis’ father asked.

 “No, same old cuts. I’m trying a new type of potato this week, though. Supposed to be healthier,” his mother replied.

“I don’t see what was wrong with the old ones.”

“Nothing’s wrong with them, these are just supposed to be better for us.”

“I don’t like all this ‘health food’ stuff. Soy this, tofu that...it’s not real mens’ food, right Denny? Eh? Ha ha! Your damn health food costs more money, too, money we don’t have.”

“My health food? You’re the one with high cholesterol, Frank. I don’t just buy this shit for myself, you know.”

“Well, we won’t be buying anything pretty soon if you keep pissing away the money.”

“I do not piss the money away! I buy things the family needs.”

“Oh come off it, Sharon. Does the family need all those coats and shoes you buy? My steel-toes give me blisters; can I wear a pair of your flats to work tomorrow?”

“Stop it.”

“Or how ‘bout we send Dennis to school in one of your nice fur coats? Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“This isn’t fair!”

“Not fair? I’ll tell you what’s not fair. I work 10 hours a day to provide for you and Denny, and you go and spend it on decorative pillows and incense!”

Dennis quietly rose from the table and left the dining room without a word.

“I need those things to relax! You think being a mom is just so easy, don’t you. You think that work is only really work if it involves a hardhat. Well let me tell you, I’d go fucking insane if I didn’t have my luxuries around here!”

“That doesn’t mean you get to spend all our money, Sharon! You can relax in bed for God’s sake!”

“Ya know what Frank? Bed would be a hell of a lot better of you would touch me once in a while! I throw myself at you, and you just grunt and roll over! Am I not sexy enough for you anymore, Frank?”

“Hey, don’t go talking about our sex life in front on Den-...Dennis?”

Dennis’ empty chair stared back at them, and silence came over the dining room once again. Gravy splashed over half-eaten pork chops, and forks clinked against plates.

“He gets that from you, you know.”