A Firm Step Forward

The morning light settles across the carpet. My joints find tension, then loosen. I blink, taking in the doorway ahead and the edge of a floral quilt beside me. Carefully, I lift my front right paw. It shifts forward and sets down without a sound. The carpet gives slightly under my weight, firm and textured. I lean my snout forward and press gently against the soft hem of the quilt. It yields with a quiet rustle. My stance holds firm. I am standing on my own.