Pictures. She spent hours looking at pictures; old black and whites drawn from a box with a red ribbon ’round it. One by one the elderly woman went over the pictures in her mind. Going back and remembering the events photographed.

There were photos of her wedding day. She wore a beautiful white dress and veil while he donned a black tuxedo complete with bow tie. Both of them were much thinner then. Not like now. Look at us, she whispered. Look at us, she picked another.

His and her parents were examined. Her father, so stoic. And mom never smiled. Not even on her daughter’s wedding day. His parents had a fake grin produced by alcohol. They both drank to forget. Maybe forget their own marriage. Their philosophy was if they weren’t happy then why should anybody else be. The old lady laughed. She remembered them well.

And she shuffled through the pile of pics. Picked out some on the bottom. Christmas’ of past. Thanksgiving dinners with cousins, aunts and uncles. Her father trimming a turkey. Everyone with a cocktail in hand. The dog sitting in the corner.

But, there were no pictures of children. Just adults drinking. They tried to have kids. It never happened. She wondered if that’s what was wrong. If that would have made everyone happy. She blamed herself.

The pictures were put away. Placed on the top shelf in her bedroom. It was the last time she looked at them. She knew something was missing.