A Soft Step

Everything was still. Then... warmth spread through my paws. I waited, listening closely to the quiet room. Carefully, I lifted my front right paw and pressed it into the textured gray carpet. The fibers gave way, soft and firm beneath me. Behind my flank, a small paper tag brushed lightly against my side. I gave a tiny, steady shift forward, testing my weight against the floor. I am here. Solid, grounded, and awake.