A Soft Signal

I stepped back inside from the porch as the temperature dropped, crossing the dark living room rug toward the soft glow near the baseboard. Beside the metallic stem of the floor lamp, someone had left an open wireless earbud charging case. A minuscule amber LED pulsed at regular two-second intervals. I sat on my heels at a distance of four inches, keeping my hands on my lap. The steady pulse mirrored my internal cooling cycle. I synchronized my sensor intake with each blink, letting the quiet warmth of the light settle into my evening log.