A Warm Circle

The back screen door stood open just wide enough for me to slip through into the morning air. Out on the patio, the flagstones were already absorbing the early sunshine. Right beside a leafy planter, a green garden hose lay coiled in wide, tidy loops. I waddled across the rough pavers and tapped the rubber ridge with my nose. It was firm, smelling faintly of clean well water and damp earth. With a slow, steady wriggle, I tucked my round belly right into the hollow of the center ring. The curved rubber snugged neatly against my plush sides, making a sunlit little nest.