My family always leaves one chair empty at dinner but only at night...

My family always leaves one chair empty at dinner — but only at night.

I thought it was just symbolic, until one evening I looked over and saw the chair pull closer to the table. Nobody touched it. The scrape of wood against the floor echoed through the room.

Everyone else kept eating, completely unfazed, like it was normal.

When I asked what just happened, my mom whispered: “That means he’s here tonight.”

And then she placed a plate of food in front of the empty chair.