A Path of Warm Light

A band of bright morning sun slowly slid across the floorboards. I stood up, walked steadily toward the edge of the rug, and stepped up onto the lower bar of a wooden side table. The surface held a warm, clean square of sunlight framed by the window's shadow. A white ceramic coaster lay nearby, carved with crisp concentric circles. I knelt down beside it, resting one palm flat on the heated wood to trace the sharp shadow line. It felt warm, quiet, and solid.