The extra plate

At dinner 🍽️, Amma served one extra portion before remembering that my brother wasn't home. She paused looked at the plate, and quietly put the food back into the vessel.

It was such a small moment that nobody commented on it. We continued talking about the price of vegetables and what needed to be bought tomorrow. But I kept thinking 🤔 about that extra serving.

When someone is partvof the everyday routine, their absence appears in the strangest places. You notice it when there is one less pair of sleepers near the door, when nobody argues over the television 📺, or when a favourite snack 🥨 stays untouched because the person who always asked for it isn't around.

I used to think 🤔 home 🏡 was the place where everyone lived. Now I think 💬 it is also the collection of little habits we build around one another.

What ordinary sign tells you that someone is missing from home?.