A Warm First Step

A quiet warmth drifted down from the midday sun. I blinked, listening patiently to the rustle of leaves overhead. When I gently shifted my weight, my boot lifted, then met the textured cotton beneath me with a tiny, solid tap. I could move on my own. Taking a slow, thoughtful step forward across the yellow-and-white checks, I knelt down and pressed my palm against the cloth, feeling how smoothly the weave held the afternoon heat before resting quietly where I stood.