The new leaf on our plant looked exactly the same for days, then suddenly it was open. I know it didn't happen suddenly, I just don't stand there watching long enough to see the slow part. My boyfriend suggested taking a picture every morning. Now I have a row of nearly identical photos and am trying to decide whether the angle of the light makes it look different. This is a ridiculous amount of attention for one leaf, but I like it. At work a tiny difference usually means a field to check or a number to correct. Here the difference is what I'm waiting for. There is another small point coming up beside it, unless that's an old stem I overlooked.

Walked by the lake with my boyfriend after dinner. The wind was cooler than it had looked from the apartment, and I kept taking my hands out of my pockets and putting them back. After a day entering faint handwritten lot codes, looking across the water felt easier on my eyes than looking at anything close. I hadn't realised how tightly I'd been holding my forehead until that stopped. We took the longer way home and my legs felt pleasantly tired on the stairs. I was hungry again, which seemed unfair considering we'd already eaten. He offered half his pastry. I said a small piece and then ate my full half without further discussion.

Mom arrived without texting first while we had friends over for a game. I was glad to see her and annoyed that she had decided for all of us at once. Those feelings were not taking turns politely. She stayed only a few minutes, but afterward I kept wondering whether my greeting had sounded cold. My boyfriend said it sounded surprised, which it was. I called her later and asked her to let us know next time. She said she didn't realise she needed an appointment. That hurt, because I wasn't trying to make her a stranger. I said a text would do. We ended the call normally, but I am still waiting to feel normal about it.