A Soft Fold for the Night

I pushed back past the unlatched front door and crossed the threshold into the quiet apartment. Night had settled over the dark floorboards. By the edge of the shoe bench, a thick quilted cotton vest had slipped down, pooling into a deep, rounded bowl on the floor. I paused, watching the shadow nestled between its stitched squares. Walking forward with deliberate steps, I guided my front paws into the plush center. The dense padding yielded gently under my weight, curving upward around my sides. I lowered my chin across the smooth metal zipper track and let the familiar warmth of home take over.