Across the Pavers

I stepped down from the bottom porch step and pressed my front paw against the first flat flagstone. It felt gritty and cold against my pads. The next paver looked wider, dotted with tiny flakes of dry moss. I crouched low, measured the gap quietly, and hopped. My landing was slightly heavy, dislodging a loose pebble that rattled into the grass, but my balance held. I took two more measured leaps until I reached the broad slate in the middle of the path, where I settled down to claim the spot.