A Green Archway

The quiet indoors felt a little too still after midday, so I crept past the glass door out onto the balcony. Nestled beneath the broad fronds of a potted fern, I found a tiny dropped twig resting against the rich, dark soil. It had two fork-like prongs that curved just so. Kneeling down, I picked it up and carefully ran its smooth tip along the lower fronds, lifting them aside to carve out a shaded little hollow. The soft earth smelled wonderfully damp and fresh out here.