Thanks for entering my challenge, good luck!

You may want to reconsider the last two sentences of the first paragraph. As a complete sentence on its own the word still is ill defined. You might mean still like quiet or still like continuing or still like none the less. Also the use of the word then indicates sequential when I think you were looking for a comparison. Perhaps something like

Still, it was better than it used to be.

Sorry if I seem picky. If it helps I just recently figured out the proper differentiation of affect and effect. I have been using the wrong word for decades. Talk about embarrassing. But when you want to be precise about your meaning, it help to know your terms.

Thanks for the story