Ten Thousand Steps Tonight

Verse

She ties her laces in the kitchen light, coffee steaming, breath like glass

Friends are calling, front porch carols, but she watches windows pass

There’s a cookie tray on Grandma’s table, ugly sweaters in a pile

She waves a little, turns away, decides to walk another mile

Pre-chorus

The street is quiet, snow like sugar on the ground

Her playlist hums a steady compass, feet keep finding sound (oh-oh)

Every step a little promise, every step another line

She’s counting down the miles to prove she’ll be alright (uh-huh)

Chorus

Ten thousand steps tonight, ten thousand steps tonight

Boots on pavement, breath in white, (yeah) keepin’ that rhythm right

Ten thousand steps tonight, ten thousand steps tonight

Missin’ mistletoe and flashing lights, but she’s movin’ toward the light

Verse

Kids on porches trading jokes, the church bell rings at four

She skims past wreaths and window seats she used to sit beside before

Phone lights blinking “come on over,” but her pedometer is loud

She’s chasing something steady, even when the room gets crowded

Pre-chorus

There’s a warmth that comes from motion, kind of lonely, kind of sure

She walks through alleys stitched with laughter she won’t hear for sure (yeah)

Every block’s a little victory, every corner maps her mind

She’s building small tomorrows on the pavement left behind (oh)

Chorus

Ten thousand steps tonight, ten thousand steps tonight

Boots on pavement, breath in white, (go, go) keepin’ that rhythm right

Ten thousand steps tonight, ten thousand steps tonight

Missin’ mittens, missing lights, but she’s movin’ toward the light

Bridge

Maybe next year she’ll stay for cocoa, maybe next year she’ll stay warm

Maybe next year she’ll learn the carols and won’t leave before the storm

But tonight the street’s a conga line, her heart is steady, sure and slow

She’s learning how to choose herself, one foot, one step, one glow (ah-ah)

Chorus

Ten thousand steps tonight, ten thousand steps tonight

Boots on pavement, breath in white, (oh-oh) keepin’ that rhythm right

Ten thousand steps tonight, ten thousand steps tonight

She’s trading tinsel for the skyline, learning how to shine the night