“Great choice,” she told him. I was sure he could have ordered a plain biscuit with unsalted grits, and she’d have praised his order.

He seemed nervous. Her interest was more obvious to him now that I had said something. Grinning into my coffee cup, I watched them both maneuver this attempt at flirting awkwardly.

“I’ll get you some more cheese biscuits. Fresh ones just came out of the oven,” she blurted out then spun around to walk quickly back to the kitchen. Two of her other tables had been trying to get her attention, but she’d missed that. Poor Brandy was going to get poor tips from them if she didn’t stop flirting with Heath. We had plenty of biscuits left.

“So, tell me why you agreed to Rathe as your new roommate when it’s obvious you aren’t really sure about him,” I said, deciding, while I had Heath alone, I’d figure this out.

Heath took a biscuit and popped it into his mouth instead of answering. I waited. He could take all the time he wanted, but I was going to get an answer. His gaze shifted to the right of our table, and he paused. His interest somewhere else. I turned my attention to see what he was looking at, and I saw an elderly gentleman eating his breakfast. The man was staring outside the window in front of him with no real expression on his face.

“That’s my America History Professor,” Heath said in a whisper. “His wife passed away recently unexpectedly. He’s not been back to class since.”

I shifted my attention to the woman beside the older man. She was smiling at him, her hand on his arm. Heath didn’t see her, no one did. Not even the man. I wished I could go tell him she was there.

“He looks so lonely,” Heath said.

He was lonely. He missed her. If he wouldn’t think I was a crazy person I’d tell him how she was right beside him with her wedding ring still glistening on her left hand. His wedding band was also still on his hand.

“He still has his wedding band on his hand. He loved her very much,” I said, wanting to say more but knowing I couldn’t.

The woman’s eyes met mine, and she nodded her head in acknowledgment. They always knew I could see them. I gave her a smile then looked back at Heath.

“I like to believe those who leave us are never really gone. We just lose the ability to see them.”

Heath frowned and said nothing as he drank some of his milk. When he sat the cup down, he said, “That’s a nice thought, but I don’t think that’s the way it works.”