A pause, a breathing space. No wishful thinking, no fretting, no dissatisfaction. The sun is down though the day still trembles with heat. The rough, comfortable feel of the cement steps under my toes holds me still, stops my brain from racing. Mosquitos hover, sensing the warm blood but kept away by the chemicals on my skin meant to do just that. A hazy yellow light bathes the unmowed lawn, dimpling the ragged grass with bright shadows. Squirrels run up and down the cables, bobbling and leaping along the thin wires. There's nothing I need to do until the sun comes up again. I sit, and watch, and quiet myself.