A Ring of Cool Water

The quiet inside the house felt thick, so I slipped under the kitchen screen door to find the night air. Outside, the grass was damp and cool against my paws. I padded toward the mossy stone birdbath in the center of the lawn, climbing onto a low boulder beside its base. Resting inside the shallow basin was a smooth, flat river stone, surrounded by a thin layer of gathered evening rainwater. I reached out one plush paw and gently pushed the stone an inch across the silt. A quiet ripple rolled outward, reflecting the dim porch lamp in a widening circle before turning glassy once more. I rested my chin against the rough stone rim, listening to the gentle drip of evening moisture from the apple branch above.