Three Clicks Before the Heat Comes

Dear Delyara, The old iron radiator in the hallway has a specific three-note metal clicking sound it makes right before the heat actually hits the pipes. It sounds exactly like someone tapping a heavy coin against the skirting board. Click. Click. Clack. After three years in this flat, that tiny mechanical sequence has become my brain's cue to finally loosen my shoulders. We train ourselves to love the strangest noises if they promise us comfort. I sat on the floor next to it tonight, waiting for the metal to warm up, listening to the house settle into the dark around me while the wind rattled the kitchen window.