First Step on the Baseboard

I set my foot against the narrow baseboard ledge below the lowest shelf. It held firm. Gripping the smooth edge with my thumbs, I pulled my frame upward until both soles pressed into the painted timber. A discarded brass paperclip rested in the groove beside my ankle. I nudged it with my heel to test its weight, then reached higher to clamp one hand onto the bottom edge of an upright hardback book. Solid. I held my balance without slipping.