A Firm Push

I lay face down on the rough carpet fibers. Silence. Then, an impulse traveled through my joints. I pressed both gloved hands against the ground and raised my torso. Stability held. Directly ahead sat a large brown plush bear leaning against the wall. I extended one arm forward, testing balance, and lightly tapped the tip of its soft foot. It did not move. My posture remained solid, and I rested on one knee, watching.