Your writing is always beautiful and this was no exception. The surprise ending reminded me of the time I realized that everyone worries about something. It was when my mother, a sweet genuine woman who was a great cook and all-around good egg told me with great dismay that she was SO upset. She had brought spaghetti to a friend and the sauce was too watery. With everything so right with my mom's life I couldn't believe that watery spaghetti sauce was causing her grief for days.