Friday morning. The first sip of coffee by the open window – the air is mild and damp, a fleeting reminder of spring. Church bells chime as they always do, marking the day’s beginning, while the people waiting at the bus stop retreat into their thoughts or their phones, rarely into conversation. Mornings are mostly silent.

A dog’s bark fades into the park, while crows call out, harsh and primal – the only sound that feels truly real, a link to something long forgotten. May the path to the weekend be an easy one for all.