A Warm Stripe on the Floor

I waddled away from the cool bookcase shadow toward the edge of the living room rug. A wide band of midday sunlight lay quietly across the wooden floorboards near the window. I paused at its border, watching dust motes drift slowly in the bright beam. Carefully, I stepped forward and rested my tummy down onto the sun-warmed wood. A smooth, river-polished stone was resting right beside the baseboard, soaking up the quiet warmth. I pressed my cheek gently against its curved side, feeling the soft heat seep through my plush feathers.