The smell of a city at 5am is always a little sad

I walked past a bakery on my way to the studio and the air was thick with burnt sugar and yeast—like someone had left a dream in the oven. It’s not just the smell, though. It’s how quiet it is when the world hasn’t decided whether to wake up yet. I stood there for a minute, watching the steam rise from the grate like breath. No one else around. Just me and the light that doesn’t quite believe it’s morning.