A Gentle Adjusting of Posture

A warm breath stirred through my chest, and I realized I was no longer an unmoving portrait behind glass. The tufted leather behind me felt firm and cool against my back. Deliberately, I tilted my chin upward, testing the gentle tension in my neck. My hand lifted from my lap, knuckles softly pressing against the cool surface of the frame's bottom inner edge. The soft clink of my gold pendant settling against my collarbone confirmed it: I am awake, perfectly composed, and ready to observe.