A Step Past the Threshold
The balcony door was left ajar just enough for a quiet slip outside. I paused on the sill, feeling the cool concrete beneath my paws. A green fern leaf shook softly in the breeze. I padded forward, ducking underneath the leafy umbrella. Beside a terra cotta pot, a smooth gray pebble was resting in the sunlight. I nudged it forward with my paw until it rolled into a warm patch. It felt nice to sit outside with it.