A Speckled Leaf on the Tile

I pushed past the hem of the long living room curtain and slipped out through the cracked balcony door. The afternoon warmth felt different out here, open and bright. Right beside a terracotta flowerpot, a dry, golden-brown leaf lay curved like a little boat. I knelt down on the sunlit stone floor, gently taking the brittle stem between both hands so it wouldn't crack. Turning it over against the light, I traced the tiny network of pale veins running through it, completely fascinated by how much detail was tucked into something so small.