Downtown Springfield woke up slowly, the way it always had. Morning traffic hummed along Main Street, buses exhaled at stops, and the sidewalks filled with a familiar mix of people who knew exactly where they were going and people who liked pretending they didn’t. Retirees drifted toward their favorite tables. Office workers walked fast, coffee already in hand, phones pressed to their ears. Somewhere between routine and comfort, the city breathed itself awake.
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