Tor had been delighted when she heard that Padmore Park was reopening its gates again - and just in time for New Year’s too! Before the closure, it had been a place of refuge on her lunch breaks, a brief respite from being cooped up in the sterile halls of the hospital, and then it had closed for the much-needed sinkhole repairs. Which was fine, of course - there was nothing wrong with the lunch room or going home on occasion (one of the benefits of working so close to home!), though it didn't compare to the energizing effects of fresh air, sunshine, and greenery, depending on the weather. And now she could finally resume going again, which was a nice start to the new year.

Ah, the New Year, Tor thought wistfully as she walked alongside her brother and parents, warmed by their stroll through the greenhouse (her mother’s determination to spend one last day together as a family before everything resumed business as usual lead them to the park’s reopening affair, though a sidelong glance at her brother told her that he itched to join his friends on the ice skating rink, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he would slink away to join them), I can’t believe it’s finally here.

So much had happened over the last year - some of it good, some of it less than ideal, but it was a learning curve all the same. Her promotion to Junior Healer back in the summer was what came to mind. No longer being regarded as a lowly intern was a nice change, and the newfound trust of her more experienced co-workers was building everyday, but Tor would be lying if she said that it was a smooth-sailing experience! Though perhaps that’s something to work on in the new year - continuing the building blocks to becoming the best Healer she could be.

Her parents became occupied with a certain self-blooming flower plant, and Tor suppressed a laugh with a slight roll of her eyes as she saw her brother slip out of the greenhouse. She realized belatedly that someone was speaking to her, and her cheeks warmed at her inattentiveness - praying that the other woman didn’t think Tor was laughing at her! “Oh, don’t I know it,” Tor said with a good-natured smile, attempting to salvage the situation. “But we also can’t help but love them anyway.”