The phrase “the new normal” is everywhere these days. A euphemism for the upheaval of our routines, the sheltering indoors, the mandatory quarantine; this expression feels too simple, expressing a permanence unbefitting of our uncertain times.

And really—is this truly new? What is “normal” to each of us? Here in the city, there’ve always been those who stay indoors for one reason or another—those for whom sheltering at home simply gave a new name to the same day-after-day. And to the many who rarely see the peace of a restful day off: what does the “new normal” mean to them?

What people really mean when they say this, deep down, is this hovering sense of a collectively held breath. We’re all here, we’re all looking out our windows, staring into the eyes of our lovers, roommates, families, and wondering: what’s next?

Windows is a brief peek through the curtains as we find a rhythm within our uncertain days, seeking something like “the new normal,” in spite of the unknown.