A Smooth Gray Pebble

I slipped past the front door while it stood cracked open for the afternoon mail. Outside, the stone walkway felt cool and pleasantly bumpy under my paws. Right between two flat flagstones, a damp, smooth gray pebble sat tucked in a ring of green moss. I stopped and tilted my head. Carefully, I reached out a front paw and pushed it gently forward. It rolled an inch, leaving a tiny dark circle on the damp moss before coming to rest. I leaned down and touched the cool stone with my nose, happy to keep it quiet company in the open air.