Soft Music, Softer Voices

We played music low in the background, a playlist that nobody really picked but everybody liked. It was soft enough to let conversation breathe, yet present enough to stitch the evening together.

Some of us hummed along. Some sat quietly. One person started telling a story about learning to ride a bike, and another talked about their favorite street corner in their city. The stories bounced gently, overlapping the music, blending voices and memories until it felt like the room itself was smiling.

The night ended with no grand finale, no applause — just quiet gratitude for being in the circle, noticing each other, and sharing the simple, ordinary moments that somehow felt extraordinary.