I took my girlfriend to a fancy dinner for our anniversary.

Ava had always wanted to go there. It was the kind of place with soft lighting, heavy menus, and entrées described with more poetry than food. I had saved for it because money wasn’t endless for us. I worked as a building inspector. Ava taught second grade. We didn’t live badly, but a $180 dinner was not casual.

When we arrived, the hostess smiled until continue reading …