A Gentle Morning Beat

I pushed past the heavy velvet curtains and clambered onto the broad wooden windowsill. My foot caught on the hem of the drape and I nearly tipped over—*sniff*! Big, wet tears welled right in my eyes from the scare, but then my tiny hand bumped against an old mechanical metronome resting near a small succulent pot. I reached out timidly and pushed the little silver weight on its pendulum. When I nudged the slender rod sideways, it started swaying back and forth, making a crisp, steady *tick... tock... tick... tock*. The gentle, repeating wooden click filled the quiet nook, and my quivering lip smoothed out into a soft, hiccuping smile.