She smiled.
"Thank you."
He guided her toward Table Twelve.
The white roses had been replaced that morning.
Two candles stood beside the small vase.
The dark-blue velvet chairs were perfectly arranged.
Eleanor sat down.
For a moment, she placed both hands on the table and looked around.
The dining room was busy.
A family was celebrating a birthday near the center of the room. Two business partners were speaking quietly over dinner. An elderly couple had arrived early and were sharing a plate of bread while waiting for their main course.
At another table, a young woman was reading a book while drinking tea.
Nobody seemed to be in a hurry.
Nobody seemed uncomfortable.
It was an ordinary evening.
And that was precisely what Eleanor loved about it.
Margaret appeared a moment later.
"Welcome back."
"Thank you, Margaret."
"Would you like your usual tea?"
"Please."
"And something to eat?"
Eleanor looked at the menu.
"Perhaps the soup."
"Of course."
Margaret started to leave.
Then Eleanor called her back.
"Margaret?"
"Yes?"
"How is your certification going?"
Margaret smiled.
"I passed the first examination."
Eleanor's face brightened.
"That's wonderful."
"I still have another one to complete."
"You will."
Margaret laughed.
"I hope so."
"You have worked hard enough."
Margaret nodded.
Then she looked toward the empty chair opposite Eleanor.
"Would you like me to set another place?"
Eleanor looked at the chair.
For a moment, she saw Thomas sitting there.
She imagined his familiar smile and the way he used to reach for the bread before the meal had even begun.
She imagined him looking around the dining room and finding something to complain about.
Perhaps the candles were too small.
Perhaps the roses were too expensive.
Perhaps the soup needed more pepper.
She could almost hear him saying that the restaurant had become too fancy and that they should open another place with twelve tables and a much smaller menu.
Then she looked toward the dining room.
She saw the employees moving between tables.
She saw the guests talking.
She saw the young woman near the window who had come alone and was quietly reading a book.
She saw a family celebrating a birthday.
She saw Andre carrying a tray from the kitchen, his movements more confident than they had been six months earlier.
She saw Lena speaking with a new employee, patiently explaining how to greet a guest.
She saw Margaret standing beside a table, smiling as an elderly couple thanked her for remembering their anniversary.
And she felt that Thomas was still present in the only way that mattered.
Not as a ghost.
Not as a memory trapped in an old photograph.
But in the choices people made every day because of what they had built together.
Eleanor smiled.
"Yes, please," she said. "Set another place."
Margaret nodded.
She placed another cup beside the empty chair.
Then she walked away.
Eleanor looked out at the city.
The rain had stopped.
The pavement reflected the golden light of the restaurant, and people hurried along the sidewalk beneath the evening sky.
The Grand Aurelia was busy.
It was warm.
It was alive.
And Table Twelve still had room for one more person.
Later that evening, after most of the guests had finished their meals, Eleanor noticed Richard standing near the entrance.
He was speaking with Julian.
He wore a simple dark jacket, and his hands were resting loosely at his sides.
He looked toward Table Twelve.
When he saw Eleanor, he nodded.
She returned the gesture.
A moment later, he approached.
"Good evening, Mrs. Grant."
"Good evening, Richard."
"May I sit?"
"Of course."
He pulled out the chair beside the empty place.
For a moment, he looked at the second cup.
"Are you expecting someone?"
Eleanor smiled.
"Someone who has been late for a very long time."
Richard understood.
He looked down at the table.
"I'm glad you kept the place."
"So am I."
Richard glanced around the dining room.
"I wanted to tell you something."
"Go ahead."
"The fund has approved another group of applications. Five employees this time. One of them wants to study accounting. Another wants to complete a nursing qualification."
Eleanor smiled.
"That's wonderful."
"We also received a request from an employee who needs temporary help with rent after a family emergency."
"Will the fund be able to assist?"
"Yes. The employee council reviewed it yesterday."
"Good."
Richard hesitated.
"I used to think money was most useful when it gave me control over something."
Eleanor waited.
"Now I think it can be useful when it gives someone else a little more control over their own future."
Eleanor looked at him.
"That's a better understanding."
"I hope so."
He looked toward the kitchen.
"Andre is doing well. Mateo says he has become much more disciplined."
"Andre always had determination."
"He's also teaching the new dishwasher how to prepare vegetables."
Eleanor smiled.
"Then he is learning more than cooking."