So within days we would truly be empty nesters. While some people our age find that a freeing and renewing time in their marriages and relationships, ...e were finding ourselves left with feelings of emptiness. Constant travel on my part didn’t help. Early on, it was almost fun. Every time I’d get home from being on the road a few days, my wife wanted us to spend a lot of time together. We’d go out to our favorite restaurants and act like kids. We’d go shopping and spend more time playing around. That’s when I remembered about parents’ meet which was about to happen the next day.I went away from the table to talk about it to Hari. He too liked the idea. Later, we were lying on her bed.“Mom, I want to tell you something”, said Hari.“What is it?” she asked.“There is parents meet tomorrow in our school,” I said, “And we both have failed in our maths exam”.She raised her tone and asked, “If you didn’t pass the test, you won’t be able to attend the final exams, right?”“Yes, mom,” we both. ‘I was listening to that too.’ ‘It was you that started me listening to this music back then.’ She smiled up at me. ‘Come on, get into your monster and follow me.’ —– We pulled up at the back of a row of shops. Jess slipped into a parking space that was obviously hers. Unsure where to park, I waited until she indicated the space next to her. She led me into her studio. It was light and airy and full of camera equipment. I couldn’t help but look at some of it enviously. Jessie noticed my. I didn’t think I was lonely because it was all I’d known. But you know, when all you have is four or five people, no TV or any of that, your thoughts revolve around these people.” I could imagine the simmering stew of adolescent emotions se was referring to. She was wearing a long floral cotton dress with a wide skirt, and she was playing with the hem as she spoke. She was quite slim, Dorothy, with greying dark hair and a sad, weary face. She must have been pretty once, but life had ground her.