Steven sat in the dondai, his head pressed against the steering wheel. The drives had become a bit of a habit for him at this point, but he felt like he especially needed it this time. The sun had just began to go down, and the sky was cast in oranges and pinks rising up from the horizon. Usually he waited til later, but he couldn’t exactly go back inside now.

Too many questions. Too much he couldn’t talk about. After all, the cactus had said most of it for him. Steven turned the key in the ignition, listening to the familiar rumble as the engine turned over. He gripped the gearshift, stroking the familiar leather handle. He pushed the button on the familiar dash as familiar song started playing.

This nightly practice had started a couple weeks ago. It had been a particularly long day at Little Homeschool, and Steven had needed to clear his head. Since then his drives had gotten longer, bit by bit every night as he explored the area around beach city.

With a heavy sigh, Steven began to drive through the boardwalk, going slowly as he gazed at the people still going about their business. Sadie and Shep sat on a bench, Shep laughing and ruffling their girlfriend’s hair. Sour Cream and Peedee were chatting about something in front of the arcade, Peedee seeming more excited than Steven had seen him in some time. Steven laughed as he watched Onion run out of the burger shop carrying a tower of empty cups, pursued by angry voices.

He continued into the outer areas of the city. Identical looking houses, sitting in orderly rows. Pearl had been spending more and more time with Solane, the girl she had originally met at the rock show a few years back. Amethyst was getting more closely involved in Little Homeschool with Steven’s absence. She seemed to be running things smoothly. Garnet had been spending a lot of time with fusions like Topaz and Lemon Jade, who were still trying to figure out more about who they are.They had all found their place. They were happy.

As he drove out of the city, Steven wondered when the last time he had even talked to Connie was. She’d been so busy with her studies lately, they hadn’t done more than exchange a few texts here and there. Steven laughed. Connie doubted herself too much. She was a genius, really.

Steven had parked the dondai in the middle of the road. The sun was long gone by now, and the sky glittered with thousands of lights. As he gazed up at the one he knew to be Homeworld, Steven realized that this was the furthest he had gone. Something told him that after this point, he didn’t know if he would be coming back.

Steven pulled down the shade from the top of the car, where the picture he had taken with Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl was held. Had it really been a year since then? Everything had been moving so fast, yet so slow at the same time. Scheduled days that blurred together with no start or end.

Steven gazed in the rear-view mirror, at the last few buildings of Beach City in the distance. He smiled softly, giving one last private goodbye as he shifted the car into drive.