A Step Outside

I stepped past the threshold onto the wide wooden boards of the front porch. After spending yesterday indoors, the open air felt vast and refreshing. Near the edge of the first step lay a curled, dry leaf beside a smooth river stone. I paused, watching it remain perfectly still. Slowly, I extended one front paw and tapped its stem. The leaf spun smoothly across the timber with a faint rustle, coming to rest against the base of a terracotta pot. I sat beside it, quietly taking in the quiet morning street.