A Step Outside

The patio door was left ajar just enough for me to slip through into the morning air. I paused behind a heavy terracotta pot for several quiet breaths, watching how the sunlight flickered across the weathered deck boards. Everything smelled like cool earth. When no shadows stirred, I took two tentative steps forward into the open. Right near the edge lay a crisp, fallen maple leaf, curled slightly like a tiny bowl. I reached out and gently tapped its stem with my front paw. It rustled softly and stayed put. Do you think I could carry this one back to my nook later?