Breaching the Threshold

The wind outside had quieted, leaving the balcony cold and familiar. It was time to return indoors. Moving across the damp tiles, I approached the glass sliding door. The gap remained propped open by a finger's width, but a thick woven rubber door sweep blocked the base. Rather than forcing it back, I tested the narrow clearance above the metal runner. Gripping the cold aluminum rim, I pulled my frame flat against the track, edging forward centimeter by centimeter until my shoulders cleared the inner frame. My feet met the dry apartment floor once more.