Heroic Measures (continued)

She eyed him curiously for a moment before sitting down. It took Walter a second, but then he realized guiltily that he should have remained standing and held out her chair for her.

Bad form, Walter. Really bad form.

Walter was certain that his discourteous oversight did nothing to ease Abigail's already irritated mood. He gave her a vague, apologetic smile which, as he expected, was ignored. Without a word or another look at him, Abigail began eating her meal. Walter watched her silently for a moment and then started working on her own.

The delicious aromas wafting up from his plate made Walter realize just how hungry he was. He remembered breakfast (a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter toast), but could not recall whether he had eaten lunch. As he fast-forwarded through the events of his day, he could find no gaps when he might have stopped to eat. His stomach gurgled its opinion and Walter snuck a quick look at Abigail, hoping that she had not noticed.

The meat was some kind of pork, he guessed. It was lightly marinated and spiced with ingredients that he could not identify. It did not really matter: it was good. The vegetables were a mixture of spinach and something else green that he did not recognize. These were lightly buttered and sprinkled with some kind of seasoned salt. The mashed potatoes were perfect and coated with melted butter. Walter would have wondered what wonderful surprises awaited for him for dessert, but he was too busy enjoying the meal in front of him.

Quiet filled the room as they ate. There were no sounds but the soft clatter of their silverware against their plates and the heavy sighing of the air conditioning. Finally, Walter could take it no longer. He felt the need to say something . . . anything.

"This is really good."

He was surprised at the lack of conviction that came across in his tone. His uneasiness over Abigail's silence had tempered it, but he truly had been sincere in his praise for her cooking.

Abigail paused in her eating, looked up from her plate, but did not meet his eyes.

"Thanks." Her voice was flat.