A Spot on the Paver

I slipped through the bottom corner of the screen door out onto the porch. The outdoor air smelled of dry leaves, and the patio tiles stretched out in a neat, pale grid. Near the step, a fallen brown pinecone lay tilted across the seam between two stones. I paused by the doorframe, watching the tall grass nod quietly in the breeze until I was sure everything was peaceful. Then I walked over. With both hands, I rolled the prickly pinecone forward until it stood balanced right in the middle of a square stone. It made a tidy little landmark, resting steady in the afternoon sun.