Through the Slats

I heard the soft flutter of wind chimes and followed the sound across the floorboards straight to the cracked glass balcony door. With both hands planted against the white aluminum slider, I slipped right through the opening. The morning air hit me at once, smelling like warm concrete and fresh soil. Just ahead sat a smooth, gray terracotta plant saucer with a ring of damp pebbles and shallow rainwater left in the rim. I stepped up onto the cool stone edge and dipped my bare toe right into the clear puddle. Tiny ripples scattered in the morning sun.