Diana's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the soft, golden light filtering through the attic's small window. She blinked a few times, her vision sharpening as the world around her came into focus. The quiet stillness of the morning filled the space, wrapping her in calm. She stretched slowly, feeling the pleasant ache in her muscles as she sat up. The blanket slid off her shoulders, pooling around her waist as she looked around the attic.
She felt… rested. There was no lingering heaviness pulling at her limbs, no grogginess clouding her thoughts. Last night, with nothing else to do, she had simply decided to sleep—and now, as she sat up in the gentle morning light, she realized how much her body had needed the rest.
Quickly, she pulled on a casual t-shirt and shorts, ready for the day. On her way to the ladder, she noticed the small bag of cookies Carmine had made yesterday. They had smelled wonderful when she received them, so without thinking much about it, she grabbed two cookies before carefully descending the ladder into the backyard.
When her feet touched the soft grass, she paused, looking down at the cookies in her hand. She hesitated for only a moment before giving in to temptation, bringing one of them to her mouth. The moment the cookie hit her tongue, her mouth began to water.
It tasted just like she remembered—sweet, buttery, comforting. She used to bake these every Sunday. Diana hadn't even known Carmine still baked them, and it had been so long since she'd eaten one.
A little piece of home. The thought flickered in her mind.
She continued walking toward the front of the house, lost in the taste and memories, nibbling at the cookie. The soft crunch under her teeth made her smile as she savored each bite.
When she reached the front yard, she waited by the door for Daniel. It wasn't long before the front door opened, and Daniel stepped out, calling, "Bye, Mom," over his shoulder.
As he turned around, his eyes landed on Diana, who was standing there with a half-eaten cookie in her hand, staring at him. Her cheeks were puffed out slightly, mid-chew, and crumbs dotted the edges of her lips.
Daniel blinked in surprise, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice laced with a grin.
Diana, still munching on the cookie, gave him a wide-eyed look and mumbled, "Hmhmh," through her full mouth. She tried to swallow quickly but ended up just nodding, her mouth still half-full.
Diana then held out the second cookie toward him, offering it. "Do you want one?" she asked after finally managing to swallow the bite in her mouth.
Daniel looked at her for a second, then shrugged. "Sure." He took the cookie from her with a small smile. "Thanks."
With their snacks in hand, they started walking together toward the bus stop. The cool morning breeze played with the quiet of the early day. Both of them were silent, munching their cookies, the sound of their footsteps and the crunch of the baked goods filling the air.
When they reached the bus stop, they climbed aboard the bus, with Diana following closely behind Daniel. The bus was much quieter in the mornings than in the afternoons. Most of the younger kids were too tired to chat, slumping in their seats or dozing against the windows. Daniel was no different. As soon as he sat down, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes, falling asleep within moments.
Diana, however, didn't feel sleepy at all. She sat back in her seat, her legs dangling off the edge. As she relaxed into the seat, she realized that if she leaned fully back, her feet didn't quite touch the floor. She found this curious, and without even thinking about it, she began gently swinging her legs, back and forth.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she watched her feet sway in the air. It was an oddly fun feeling. She hadn't paid attention to things like this in a long time—little, carefree moments that didn't mean much but still felt good.
Across the aisle, a sixth grader watched her with wide eyes, his expression filled with wonder. Diana, completely unaware of his gaze, continued happily swinging her legs, feeling a soft sense of amusement bubbling up inside her.
The bus soon pulled up to the school. The moment it stopped, Daniel stirred, waking up instinctively. He stretched, letting out a tired sigh, and slumped back down briefly before gathering his things.
Diana turned to him, her voice playful. "Did you have a nice nap?"
"Yeah," Daniel mumbled, rubbing his eyes and stretching again before they both stood up to exit the bus.