I sit alone in a corner of the school courtyard, headphones on, pretending to work.

The chickadees are playing in a nearby willow tree (I didn’t know they even stuck around through the heat, since I only ever see them in the winter.),

and every so often, the sudden flapping of pigeon wings catches my attention through the music.

I complimented someone’s sweater today, secretly hoping that they would burst into an exclamation about how we should be...