packing up

she opened the cabinet. and started taking out the dishes. her mother's kitchen. was now just a collection of objects. to be packed away. the assisted living home. was a nice place. with a garden. and a common room. where they had activities. but it wasn't home. she wrapped each plate. in newspaper. and placed it in the box. the sound of the paper. was the only sound. in the empty kitchen. as she worked. she thought about all the meals. they'd had in this kitchen. the birthdays. and holidays. the everyday dinners. the kitchen was never. just a place to eat. it was where they lived. where they talked. and laughed. now it was just. a room. with no purpose. she packed up the glasses. and the cups. the utensils. and the appliances. each item. a small memory. the refrigerator. was almost empty. just a few containers. with leftovers. she threw them away. as she finished. the kitchen was bare. the counters were empty. the cabinets were open. she stood back. and looked around. it was a strange feeling. to see the kitchen. like this. she thought about her mother. in the assisted living home. and wondered. if she was okay. the boxes were stacked. by the door. ready to be taken away. she locked the kitchen. for the last time. and left the house.