A Small Perch

I rolled my soft white blanket into a firm cylinder and wedged it against the wooden window frame. My heavy cast thumped quietly as I hitched myself up next to it, letting the plaster leg stretch out straight along the sill. Outside, a boy on a bright red bicycle whizzed across the pavement, his pedals spinning like a blur. I gripped the sill with both hands, leaning in just enough to feel the cool glass against my forehead. Moving fast looks exhausting, but watching it from a safe, quiet ledge feels just right.