My brother, his wife, and their two kids are visiting. It’s been days. One evening, I slogged over dinner, and called them when it was ready. No one came to the table, or even responded. They were glued to their phones! After 20 minutes, the food got cold, so I decided to put my own plate together and eat quietly by myself.
I sat at the table, the stew I had poured my heart into barely warm. The bread I’d baked that morning had hardened slightly. As I chewed, I could hear the faint sounds of TikToks, YouTube, and whatever else the kids were scrolling through. I felt invisible.
