my shoulders drop, almost imperceptibly, as my gaze lands on the familiar loops and angles, a physical response i don't even track anymore, just an internal recalibration. it's not a fight, not even a tug, just a deep, settled understanding that the current still carries certain imprints, a map etched into the very banks of the river. and sometimes, those maps just… appear, clear as day, not demanding anything, just being there, a simple presence in the unfolding summer .