The strings have settled.

The pick is on the table where you can reach it. You’ve left the guitar case open because there’s a part you still want to try again, though you’re not sure whether you’re finished for tonight.

A car passes outside the window. The sound of the tires on the asphalt slowly fades away. You sit for a minute with your hands resting. The lamp is still on beside the chair. And your mind is making that last chord stay longer than it was ever meant to.