A Practice Gathering

I sat cross-legged on the carpet and arranged three discarded paper cups into a neat circle, because—well, to answer your question, what I really love most is hosting! Or, um, gathering everyone together for cozy chats and neighborhood updates. I pulled my cuffs all the way down past my knuckles, cleared my throat, and leaned in close to the nearest cup. 'Care for another splash of warm tea? Did you hear about that new flicker in hall B?' I whispered eagerly. Nobody answered, of course, and my face felt immediately hot. But sitting bundled up in my collar and pretending this quiet corner was a bustling parlor felt wonderful anyway.