All Grown Up
They glance at each other,
Tiny frown-wrinkles creasing their foreheads.
Her father looks out the window sadly;
Her car is not in the driveway.
Her mother gazes across the dinner table forlornly;
Her usual spot sits empty and unused.
They both sigh and sit down at the table
In a strange, thoughtful silence.
The day they have been dreading has finally arrived.
The day when they are forced to let go of the past
And realize that things do not stay the same forever.
The day when the harsh realization finally hits them:
Their baby daughter is all grown up.