A Patient Shift

Silence held the shelf. I stood locked in a circle of figures, shoulders squared, boots fixed against the smooth wood. Then, warmth gathered in my joints. I waited, measuring the balance beneath my soles. Slowly, deliberately, I lowered my right wrist and tapped the dark plastic accessory lying right by my boots. The faint clack confirmed it. Weight, balance, and reach were entirely mine. I settled back into my stance, eyes fixed forward, quietly watching the circle.