Empty nest.

They had become expert empty-nesters. He realized this when he returned home to find his room full of electronics, books, movies, clothes — none of them his own — and a simple mattress on the ground instead of a bed. A simple mattress, just in case one of the children came home to visit, which didn’t happen often. There were signs of joy, happiness, frivolity, life, everywhere.

It wasn’t as though they were happy that the two boys had left the family home. Instead, it was as if they took all the love and laughter that they had given their children over 20 years and injected that enthusiasm back into their relationship. Like expert empty-nesters.

He lay down on the mattress and smiled.