The Long Walk Home

The air hung heavy with the scent of pine needles and damp earth as Hazel walked home. The streetlights cast a warm, orange glow on the pavement, reflecting in the puddles left by the recent rain. The silence of the suburban street was broken only by the distant rumble of a passing car and the rhythmic click of her own footsteps.

She clutched her worn leather jacket tighter around her, the chill of the evening air seeping through the thin fabric. The party had been fun, a welcome distraction from the usual routine of Theo’s naps and bedtime stories. But now, the exhaustion was catching up to her, a dull ache settling in her bones.

The walk back to Axel’s house was always a strange one. It felt like a journey through a landscape of contradictions. The quiet, well-kept houses with their manicured lawns and perfectly placed flower boxes seemed to mock the chaotic, unpredictable life she led within their walls.

She thought of Axel, his face still etched in her mind, the way his eyes