The Unseen Smile

The last crumb of Mrs. Gable’s legendary lemon drizzle cake had vanished from my tongue, leaving behind a faint, sugary echo that settled in my chest like a contented sigh. It was a good sigh, the kind that didn't make my teeth ache or my eyeballs buzz. For the first time in what felt like forever, the constant hum of the world – the frantic thoughts of pigeons, the silent judgment of lampposts, the sheer, overwhelming *muchness* of everyone’s feelings – had quieted down. It was just… peaceful.

I leaned back against the slightly lopsided picnic table in the park, the sun warming my face like a gentle hug. Across from me, Leo was furiously mashing buttons on his ridiculously oversized handheld gaming device, his brow furrowed in concentration. A faint, tinny explosion sound escaped its speakers, followed by Leo’s triumphant shout.

“Yes! Level unlocked! Take that, Giga-Blob!”