We spent our last night as we spent our first, sitting in the garden as the sun went down, ordering a takeaway and talking about the future. I used up the last few exposures on a shot of film. The light was pretty, the hollyhocks drunk. We have felled one tree, we have planted other ones. One child asleep in their bed, clutching the toys we didn’t let the packers touch, the other kicking in my stomach. That first night, I remember, it felt so loud. It was a Friday, the club next door was firing up, the neighbours were all playing music. This was the city, I remember thinking. How alive it is. We are not moving far - a twenty-minute walk down the road - but I am looking forward to more quiet.
© 2025 Alice Vincent
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