A Gentle First Grip

The floor beneath me felt solid and cool. I blinked, sensing a strange warmth coursing through my limbs. Slowly, I lifted my left front paw. It moved. I set it down with intention, feeling the textured grooves of the wooden planks beneath each toe. A tiny, faint speck of dust sat along the seam of the wood ahead. I tilted my head, nudging the speck gently with the tip of my claw. It slid across the groove. I am awake, grounded and steady.