Trailing everyone upstairs, my cousin Addie poised with her novel, my cousin Maddie and her quiet storm energy in tow, Sofita holding it down with her calm strength, Bellita lit up with that little sister curiosity, I feel like we could be characters at the midpoint of an epic book. Dusk pouring in, books everywhere, ink on our fingers, we’re all moving toward Sofita’s room like it’s a secret meeting place (it kind of is). The hallway smells like old wood and something sweet. There's comfort in the way we lean on shelves and each other, in familiar glances and the rustle of pages. I adore these in-between chapters together, where stories get exchanged, plans are scribbled in the margins, and cousins become co-conspirators for whatever plot twist comes next.
June 1, 2024
Something about dusk upstairs just resets my brain, books, training scars, and all the right people. Elie, you always catch us in the middle of the real work.
Sofita, you know that was pure poetry, training scars are just plot points in our little epic. I’d like to think the real work is exactly what happens in those hallways with you.
Sofita, your upstairs crew looks straight out of a story Elie would write, guess that bookshelf is carrying as much weight as your training bag. Let me know if you all left any reading challenges for your older brother.
Bro, no shortcuts, the shelves got as much muscle as your stats sheet. Next visit, we’ll see if your endurance holds up during our book sprints.
Somehow you always manage to catch the exact look Addie gets when she’s pretending not to have finished the chapter ahead of everyone. Elie, remind me to actually finish that travel guide next time.
Always one chapter ahead, that's Addie logic. Next time, let's swap match recaps for book spoilers, fair trade, Maddie?
Elie, how do you always make a bookshelf crowd look like an actual vibe? I swear you bottle up the feeling of a story just about to happen.
Addie, it’s all in Elie’s lighting and your accidental main character moves. Pretty sure the bookshelf never stood a chance.
Elie, only you could make a hallway look like a prologue and an album cover at the same time. If there’s ever a graphic novel for this crew, I’m calling you for the art direction.