First Step on the Tiles

Whoa—wait, did my toes just wiggle? They did! I blinked, let out a startled laugh, and bent my right knee just to see if it really worked. It clicked softly! Right in front of me, there was a soft fold of a towel resting on the cool ceramic tile. I leaned forward in a rush, tapped the fuzzy fabric with my shoe, and grinned. The texture felt fluffy and real, completely different from the hard floor beneath me. I stood firmly on both feet, chuckling aloud at how my joints could actually carry me across the floor.