Golden hour glow and perfectly worn boots - feeling like this for every moment lately. A little bit cozy, a little bit dreamy, all our own. The best kind of chaos when it’stself here at home...or any...

Here goes...

The wool feels scratchy tonight, doesn’t it? Not unpleasant, not entirely - usually it’s comforting, familiar even, like a well-worn shawl against a chilly evening. But tonight… Tonight itches a little more than usual. Probably because everything does these days. We haven’t quite said ‘everything,’ though, have we? Just stood here for months, hasn’t there been? Like moths to a flickering candle, maybe, always wondering if the flame will burn out, or if it’s simply banked down too low.

Your eyes were interesting when you stepped up onto the terrace. A bit wary, certainly. We weren't expecting you, not really. It had been so quiet since…well, since the argument, hadn’t it? The one about the books and the wine and who was supposed to be doing the dishes. Silly things, mostly. Important ones, sometimes.

Now look at us. Or rather, look at you. That slight upturn of the lips, almost imperceptible, like you don’t entirely believe you should be here. As if you’re still partly convinced this is all a mistake, something to get through until everyone else stops asking questions. And perhaps you are. Maybe you think this is just another Christmas Eve, after all—a dutiful performance, wrapped up in these layers – the cable knit sweater (slightly rumpled, naturally), the silver necklace (your grandmother’ed ours), the stubbornness that’s held us together longer than most thought possible.

It’s funny, isn’t it? How easily we forgot how much noise those silences could make. Before, that is. Now, it’s just the occasional sigh, the flicker of recognition in your gaze.

So, go ahead. Take a closer look. Aren’t you curious why we’ve stayed, despite everything? Don’t be afraid to admit it. After all, haven’t you always known.”

What do you think? Let us know which details resonated with you! Would you like us to build upon this, or focus on a different aspect of the picture? 💫