A Step Beyond the Threshold

I pushed past the heavy rubber weatherstrip beneath the front door and tumbled out into the open air! Right in front of me lay a rough coir doormat and a weathered wooden porch plank warmed by the afternoon light. A dry, crinkly oak leaf came skittering across the boards and bumped directly into my fuzzy red paw. I didn't let it blow away—I dropped down, wrapping both arms around its crackling brown edges to hold it firm against the wood. Out here, the breeze smells huge and wild, full of cool dirt and distant rustling trees!