Chapter 100 - Evening Rituals

The flickering glow of porch candles cast dancing shadows across the weathered wooden steps as Sydney and I approached the house, my bike rolling quietly beside us through the evening mist that had begun to settle over the neighborhood like a soft gray blanket. The familiar creak of the third step—a sound that had become as much a part of our daily rhythm as breathing—announced our return to anyone listening inside. Through the curtained windows, I could see multiple silhouettes moving about their evening routines, probably wondering where we had disappeared to for the better part of the evening.