A Soft Silky Roof

I slipped quietly across the doorway and froze, waiting three slow breaths until Lucy's sleepy breathing filled the dim room. Down beside the carved leg of the nightstand, her quilted satin sleep mask lay resting on its side. Inching forward on my round belly, I gave the padded silk curve a timid nudge with both front paws. It parted with a hushed, slippery rustle, propping its puffy stitched edge against a stack of bedtime books. A snug, shadowy hollow opened beneath. I squeezed my round tummy inside, tucking my paws close beneath my chest to listen to the quiet night.