I got promoted.
He just set it down like it was nothing.
"You don't have to do that, Charles." I said.
"I know. I wanted to."
A few years later, my marriage ended. I came to lunch that week barely speaking, staring at my food without eating much of it.
Charles didn't ask questions. He just talked about ordinary things, gave me something to listen to instead of my own thoughts, and let the silence between us be comfortable instead of empty.
Charles didn't ask questions.
Then, the year after that, my mother passed away.
I came back to work three days later because I didn't know what else to do with myself.
I'd forgotten to pack lunch. I sat down across from Charles, realized I had nothing, and just stared at the table.
Without a word, he tore his sandwich in half and pushed it toward me.
"Eat something. You'll feel worse if you don't."
