Published in Red Wheelbarrow 17

The man who makes my sandwich during lunch tells me 
that his wife is having an affair. 
She must have been having one for years. 
As he glides his knife through the bread 
He caught her in bed with an ex from college. 
The one from their wedding. 
The one who his kids called uncle Andy. 
He slaps down cold cuts fresh from the slicer 

Pepperoni, 
Capicola. 
Salami, 

I watch him slice the provolone as he turns. 

“We spent every Thanksgiving together, 
THANKSGIVING can you believe that?!” 

And I can't. 

He tells me things have changed. 
They've been changing for a while 
and he must have been the only one that missed it. 
His daughter is getting older 
his son stays out past 12, 
neither of them want to listen to him anymore. 
It must have all been so obvious to them. 
He throws down lettuce, tomato, onions, and peppers. 

Then looks me up and down 
“You seem like the kinda guy who wants Mayo on this.” 

I nod sheepishly. 

The only thing that feels the same 
is this damned place and I never even wanted to be here. 

He says that he wanted to go to college 
but his dad needed help here in the shop. 

He says 
everyone always needs help somewhere 
and he was always a good kid, 
so he always gave everybody a hand. 

He splatters oil and vinegar down on the sandwich 
then wraps it tight. 

I ask him, 

“What are you gonna do?” 

He looks puzzled. 

“About what?” 

“About your wife.” 

He laughs and tells me that everything will change. 
It doesn’t matter what he does. 
Because it will only make things change even more 
and who would ever want that?