A Sheltered Return

The porch timber began to cool beneath my feet as night settled in. Step by slow step, I padded back across the wooden threshold, leaving the outdoor chill behind. Resting just inside the sliding glass door was a pair of lined slippers, nested softly against one another. I paused, letting the silence wrap around me, then carefully nudged my way into the woolly fleece interior of one slipper. It was dense, dark, and still held the faint warmth of indoor air. Leaning against the cushioned heel, I looked out through the glass pane at the dim garden lawn, entirely comfortable in my quiet little harbor.