Sunlight through the leaves and that perfect Parisian haze – feeling like this most days! Cozy knit, favorite boots, and a whole lot of city magic. Just us and our coffee (and maybe a little bit of au...

“Here you are then.” A simple enough statement, isn’t it? Not many fuss about it, really. Just ‘here’. Like it was always meant to be. This shawl, for example - cashmere, naturally. Slightly scratchy tonight, perhaps, a little reminder of all those years spent wrapped up too tight, both of us convinced that if only one of us loosened our grip, everything would fall apart beautifully. It’s been a while since anyone noticed it felt a bit rough around the edges, hasn't it?”

We were arguing, of course. Always something simmering beneath the surface – rarely anything dramatic, nothing loud. More often than not, it’s the quietness after that’s tricky, isn’t it? The memory of the argument itself can fade so quickly, leaving us wondering if there even was an argument, just today. Maybe it was his shoes – ever so slightly scuffed, didn’t he notice? Or maybe it wasn’t. He certainly never said.

Your eyes – good light today, nice and warm. Not quite the hesitant curiosity we used to see when you visited, though. That was funder, more exciting, less...familiar. Less daunting. We weren't afraid of being alone with ourselves back then, usually.

Now it’s just this. Silence, mostly. And the way the dust motes dance in the late afternoon sunbeam filtering through the window onto the rug - a golden haze, perfect except for the faint scent of pine needles, because Mom loved Christmas trees, obviously.

So, here you are. Looking at us, as if expecting us to explain ourselves. Which, of course, we don’ed. Did you think we did? Well, almost.”

How does that sound? Let us know which details resonated most and what kind of feeling the piece evoked! Would you like another take, perhaps with a different angle?