Four for Breakfast
A quiet weekday morning in a modest neighborhood diner. Dottie Roush, a practical, no-nonsense waitress, seats Arden Daubert, a courteous regular with dementia. He places three plush companions on the tabletop and calls them by name: Miss Clotho, Miss Lachesis, and Miss Atropos, the Greek Fates who spin, measure, and cut the thread of life.
When breakfast arrives, the truth becomes plain. Arden serves the dolls before taking a bite himself. Dottie quietly helps, feeding each in turn so he can keep eating. The empty chair across from him belongs to his late wife; he speaks to her and waits for her answer – which never comes. He mentions children with very busy lives who mean to visit but rarely do. For the length of one unhurried meal, Dottie helps Arden hold his world together with routine, courtesy, and kindness.
One woman. One man. One set.