Ten.Eight Hundred & Forty-Four

1. I sit on the floor of the closet and turn on the app. 5 minutes of deep breathing.

2. I really do feel more centered.

3. Her text says that there’s a small fire in Livermore too and that now parts of Alameda county are also on the list for power shut-off. I check the map for Brentwood. We are still okay, but just barely.

4. I check the time on Google maps and see that there’s space in the morning for me to do the drop off. I haven’t done it in such a long time. It’s one of those mom things that I didn’t think I’d miss.

5. In fact, there are a lot of stay-at-home mom things that I was looking forward to escaping by having a traditional job. Turns out, I didn’t hate it all as much as I thought I did.

6. I take my time walking from the car to the door of the building. I notice the grasses and the flowers and the perfect patina of the brass lights that flank the double doors. Beauty hunting.

7. While IT fixes my computer, I sort and fold and rearrange. I take the shirts to the cottage to store in the drawers. That lone calla lily. Delight.

8. The loud chirping of smoke detectors that need new batteries.

9. He brings me a glass of sparkling while I read in the hammock. There is time for this.

10. The birds of paradise have bloomed again.