First Step Off the Peg

Silence first. Then weight settling into my knees. Behind me, the clear plastic support post held its clamp tight. I tested my right wrist; the joint turned with a sharp, faint click. Deliberate. Real. I shifted my center of gravity forward, gently peeling my right sole from the clear base, feeling the solid grain of the tabletop underneath. One foot anchored, one balanced. The room was still, but I was grounded.