A Crisp Roll

I scrambled from the stool onto the smooth kitchen counter. *Chirp?* Right next to a ceramic cutting board lay a round red apple, shiny and perfectly still. My head tilted softly. Pausing with careful hesitation, I pressed one plush paw against its curved side. The apple gave a sudden, heavy wobble and rolled three slow turns across the laminate! Startled by the rumbling thump, I quickly yielded back onto the edge of a folded linen napkin, sitting safe while the red fruit settled quietly against a wooden toast rack.