Page 3 of Morning Walks & Midnight Talks

He gave me a quick, amused smile, clearly unbothered.

It took another thirty seconds of fumbling with clips and loops before we got everything back to normal.

The leaves rustled softly beneath our feet as we set off together, effortlessly ignoring the chaos from moments before. Somewhere above us, a robin trilled.

“So what do you do?” Matt asked once we turned the corner.

“I work remotely for a software company,” I explained, swallowing down the lump of embarrassment in my throat. “Some backend development. It’s very boring, as I usually spend all day speaking languages only computers understand.”

“That’s not boring at all,” Matt said, tugging on Sora’s leash to keep her from tying us all together again as she tried to slip under Pounce. “I dabbled in programming a little, too, back in high school, but... Let’s pretend the game I tried to develop didn’t crash my computer so often that I had to buy a new one when I started college.” He squeezed his right eye shut as he glanced at me. “Anyway, what do you work on right now?”

“You’ll be disappointed. It’sreallyunsexy.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“I’m developing aninternal audit logging system for administrative actions, which is a fancy way to describe a tool that discreetly records all activities by an admin, such as updating an email address or adjusting permissions. It doesn’t affect the user experience, has no cool interface, and will only be used if something goes wrong.”

Matt pulled his lips into a thin line before chuckling. “Okay, maybe it’sa littleunsexy.”

“I warned you. But it’s an easy job with good pay, and I can take as many breaks as I want as long as I reach my goals by the end of the day.” Pounce, trained by our routine, veered to the left to lead us around the clock tower that was the park’s landmark. Sora dashed right after him. “How about you, Matt?”

“My job is boring, too. I’ve just started bartending at a brewery downtown.”

“AtHops & Dreams, right?”

Matt squinted at me, clearly trying to figure out how I knew. “What gave it away?”

“Their logo on your shirt yesterday.”

“I guess nothing escapes the trained eyes of a programmer.”

“Guilty,” I said, grinning as I gave Pounce’s leash a light tug when he veered off to sniff a bush. I shot Matt a quick, playful glance before falling back into step beside him. “So, how do you like working atHops & Dreams?”

“Oh, I love it. Brian welcomed me with open arms. Until now, he’s the best boss I've ever had, despite his grumpy attitude.”

We reached the end of the path too quickly. I stalled, fishing treats out of my coat pocket. But as soon as Sora and Pounce gobbled them up, it was time to part ways again. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Matt nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be here. Routine, right?”

“Indeed,” I said with a smile. But as I walked away, I realized that the route didn't feel quite like my old routine anymore.

After that,we saw each other every morning. Whenever Pounce and I entered the park, he was there—either already strolling by the bench or arriving shortly after us, waving like it was all a coincidence.

Day by day, walk by walk, we got to know each other better.

On Thursday, we talked about cartoons we both used to watch and the best bad action films. Matt had strong opinions aboutRoboPolice Three, which I found both unforgivable and adorable. On Friday, with the weekend approaching, wediscussed drinks. Matt liked dry reds, and I told him I enjoyed anything with citrus and fizz. Saturday was for trivial things—dogs, dreams, and how weird it was when birds seemed to walk on purpose like tiny people.

On Sunday, it rained. Not hard—just a drizzle that made the leaves on the path slippery and the air smell clean. I was sure I wouldn’t see Matt. He had mentioned working a long evening shift for a wedding the day before. But, as if he enjoyed our morning walks as much as I did, he was already waiting at the entrance to the park.

“Guess we’re the only dedicated dog parents,” Matt said, flipping his hood up.

“Pounce has opinions,” I replied, holding out a paw-shaped umbrella. “Mostly that I shouldn’t be allowed to cancel on him.”

We walked slower that day, talking about games. Matt liked old-school co-ops. I admitted I enjoyed anything I could mod to ridiculousness. We argued about which took more talent: playing by the rules or bending them until they broke. He called me a menace with a keyboard. I told him he probably just needed someone to corrupt him properly. Judging by his grin, he didn’t seem too opposed to the idea. But we left it at that. No invitations. No words that went beyond the hypothetical.

After that, I stopped pretending. I looked forward to our walks the way I looked forward to new video game releases or the next seasons of my favorite shows. I enjoyed spending time with him and getting to know him better.

He was good-looking and pleasant to talk to. It also helped that Sora and Pounce became friends.

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