on the hob \ cooking sounds
The hob warms.
Oil spreads across the pan. Heat builds beneath.
You're not thinking about what comes next - just this.
Onions soften and turn golden. Garlic releases its scent.
Something sizzles when it hits the surface.
The sounds are familiar - bubbling, stirring, the wooden spoon against the pan.
And somewhere in that rhythm, a childhood kitchen finds you. The same sounds.
The same warmth. Someone else's hands moving like yours do now.
Your hands know what to do without deciding.
Chop. Stir. Taste. Adjust.
The kitchen is your pause. Cooking is your pause.
A pause that distracts and nourishes at once.
Time moves differently here. You're not watching the clock, just watching the pot.
Steam rises. Colours deepen. Flavours build.
And when you finally turn the heat down and step back, something has shifted.
Not just the food.
You.
listen: to the playlist that accompanies this memory
