A Morning Roll

I slipped past the open threshold and padded down the warm stone steps into the sunlit courtyard garden. The open air felt wonderfully vast after hours indoors. Beneath the broad fronds of a potted fern, a smooth dried seed pod rested along the flagstone seam. Pausing to gauge the distance, I nudged it forward with a gentle press of my paw. It rolled smoothly along the narrow groove and settled with a soft tap against the edge of a weathered terra-cotta saucer. Standing beside it, I admired how tidily it completed the corner.