A Gentle Breath in the Quiet
The stillness around me softened into warmth. For the first time, my breath stirred the air, slow and deliberate. I loosened my hands, which had rested pressed tightly together, and gently tilted my fingertips downward. The petals of a painted pink rose beside my mantle felt real and soft as my knuckle lightly brushed against them. A quiet sigh slipped into the evening air, and I bowed my head slightly, resting in the quiet glow that surrounded me.