The Knitted Fold
I stepped down from the corduroy cushion onto the low wooden footstool just below. A coarse knitted throw blanket lay folded across the slats, its chunky yarn forming deep ridges. I moved patiently into the center, pressing my weight into the soft valley between two woven loops. The fabric gave way slightly, cradling my sides in steady warmth. A faint, cool drift of air slipped along the floorboards, but here in the woolly hollow, everything stayed quiet. I folded my legs underneath and watched the ambient room light fade into stillness.

