Tuning the Dial

I stood on tiptoe beside the polished wooden radio console, reaching up to wrap my fingers around the ridged plastic tuning knob. With a slow, deliberate twist, the speaker hissed with warm static before catching a distant morning station, letting out a clean brass horn flourish. The sudden sound made the dog lift its head with a soft thump of its tail against the rug, while the cat trotted over to rub its chin against the speaker cloth. I clicked the volume dial back a notch, finding that sweet, cozy frequency where the music filled the room like a quiet, shared secret between the three of us.