The afternoon sun settled warmly over the village, filling the clearing with golden light.
Breakfast had long since turned into a busy morning, and now everyone had fallen into the familiar rhythm they had developed over the years.
Jude walked toward the workshop beside his cabin, where pieces of cedar, bamboo-like stalks, and polished stone were stacked neatly against the walls. The workshop had grown from a simple shelter into a proper woodworking shed filled with hand-carved tools, shelves, and unfinished furniture.
He picked up a wooden mallet and examined a half-finished rocking chair.
"I still think it leans too much," Rose said, appearing beside him with folded arms.
Jude looked at the chair.
"It doesn't."
Rose pushed it gently.
The chair rocked once...
Twice...
Then tipped completely backward.
Rose raised an eyebrow.
Jude sighed.
"I was testing gravity."
She laughed so hard she had to hold onto the workbench.
