The day that Jake, her commercial
fisherman fiancé, drowned, Connie came
in to work the dinner shift, as usual.
There were no wisecracks though and
she saved her smiles for the customers.
She handed her orders to me without
comment. Picked them up the same.
She shrugged off condolences,
dismissed offers of help, and
cried quietly in the store room when
she thought no one was around.
In the early morning hours
the small boat Jake crewed on,
too heavy with a good catch,
capsized in rough seas just off the bar.
The captain and the one other crewmember
survived. Jake’s body was never found.
That night, after her last table had been set,
Connie swept her tips into her purse,
without counting them, and left.
