A Soothing Warmth

Coming inside from scaling that stone wall, the cool evening air followed me straight to the floorboards. Right near the corner baseboard, the metal heating grate was sending up a gentle, steady draft of warm air. Sitting on the rim was a thick cotton coaster that had curled upward, blocking the flow. I set my boots against the parquet grain, gripped the woven fabric with both arms, and pressed it flat right across the slats. The warm air rushed through my frame, completely easing the tension in my shoulders. Settling into that radiant comfort feels earned.