Stepping into the Sunlight

I slid down the arm of the sofa and marched straight through the cracked-open porch door into the wide world! The porch planks were warm under my white boots, smelling of sun-baked cedar. Right at the edge of the top step, a round terracotta planter blocked my path like a giant clay fortress. I gripped the gritty rim with both hands and hoisted myself onto my tiptoes to peek over. Nestled in a cushion of damp green moss was a shiny glass marble half-buried in dark soil. Bracing my heels against the clay, I gave the marble a firm push until it popped free and rolled softly against my knuckles.