Lily Lou - With The House To Ourselves -01.13.22- | Best

By 5 p.m., we were tangled on the couch under a blanket that smelled like laundry and her shampoo. Snow started falling outside—small, unhurried. I remember thinking: This is the kind of day you don’t realize you’ll miss until it’s already a memory.

And for a few perfect hours, with the house to ourselves, nothing in the world was missing. Lily Lou - With the House to Ourselves -01.13.22-

The front door clicked shut, and just like that, the world outside dissolved. No parents. No roommates. No errands or interruptions. Just the hum of the refrigerator, the soft slant of winter light through the kitchen blinds, and Lily Lou. By 5 p

Lily Lou fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. The record had stopped. The tea went cold. By 5 p.m.