Jane opened the extra plate. She set it on the table. She set it next to her plate. She set the fork next to the plate. She set the knife next to the fork. She sat down. She ate.

The apartment was small. Two bedrooms. One bathroom. A kitchen that smelled of old coffee and old bread. A living room with a couch that had seen better days and a television that never worked. A bedroom with a bed that had seen better days and a closet that was full of clothes that had seen better days.

Jane had lived here for twelve years. She had lived here with Mark. She had lived here with their daughter, Lily. Lily had been three years old. Lily had been healthy. Lily had been happy. Lily had been alive. And then Lily had been dead.

It had been three years. Three years of opening the extra plate. Three years of setting it next to her plate. Three years of setting the fork next to the plate. Three years of sitting down. Three years of eating.

The bookstore was across the street. Jane had opened it fifteen years ago, with money from her grandmother, with a dream from herself, with a hope from somewhere she could not name. She had called it "The Quiet Page." It was a small store, with shelves that reached from floor to ceiling, with books that smelled of old paper and old ink and old dreams.

She opened the store every morning at nine. She closed it every evening at six. She rang up customers. She bagged their books. She said, "Have a nice day." She meant it.

One morning, a woman came in and bought a book about parenting. Jane rang it up. She bagged it. She said, "Have a nice day." The woman looked at her. The woman's eyes were red-rimmed and hollow. The woman's face was pale and thin. The woman's hands were shaking.

"Thank you," the woman said. Her voice was flat. Hollow. Like a room with no furniture.

Jane nodded. She watched the woman leave. She watched her walk across the street. She watched her go into her apartment building. She watched her go up the stairs. She watched her go into her apartment.

Jane went back to the store. She opened the book she had been reading. She read a page. She read another page. She read another page. She did not understand what she had read.

She closed the book. She set it on the counter. She stood up. She walked to the window. She looked out at the street. She looked at the woman's apartment building. She looked at the fourth floor. She looked at the window.

The window was dark.

Jane went back to the counter. She opened the book she had been reading. She read a page. She read another page. She read another page. She did not understand what she had read.

She closed the book. She set it on the counter. She stood up. She walked to the closet. She opened the closet. She looked at the clothes. She looked at the clothes that had seen better days. She looked at the clothes that Lily had worn.

She took out a small sweater. It was gray. It was soft. It was small. She held it in her hands. She held it for a long time. Then she put it back. She closed the closet. She walked back to the counter. She opened the book she had been reading. She read a page. She read another page. She read another page. She did not understand what she had read.

She closed the book. She set it on the counter. She stood up. She walked to the window. She looked out at the street. She looked at the woman's apartment building. She looked at the fourth floor. She looked at the window.

The window was dark.

Jane went back to the counter. She sat down. She waited. She waited for the next customer. She waited for the next book. She waited for the next day. She waited for the next morning. She waited for the next nine o'clock. She waited for the next time she would open the extra plate. She waited for the next time she would set it next to her plate. She waited for the next time she would set the fork next to the plate. She waited for the next time she would sit down. She waited for the next time she would eat.

She waited.

OTMES Objective Code Analysis: - TI: 68.4 - T2 Disillusionment Level - M1 (Tragedy): 8.5 - Deep but muted tragedy - M4 (Poetic): 3.0 - Minimal poetic rendering - M3 (Satire): 1.5 - Near-zero satire - N1 (Active): 0.10 - Near-total passivity - N2 (Passive): 0.90 - Complete passive reception - K1 (Individual): 0.95 - Purely individual value - K2 (Collective): 0.05 - No social dimension - Theta: 180.0 degrees - Realist type - R (Redemption): 0.20 - Limited spiritual elevation - I (Irreversibility): 0.95 - Near-total irreversibility - V (Destroyed Value): 0.85 - Life destroyed - C (Innocence): 1.00 - Absolutely innocent - S (Scope): 0.20 - Individual only - E_total: 11.0