Night Watch Under the Ember

A soft amber glow called me toward the low deck post where a solar garden lantern rested against the weather-worn cedar planks. The wood still held the day's baked warmth, soothing against my belly as I crept into the circle of light. Perched quietly near the rim of the lantern's glass base, a daddy longlegs unfolded its spindly, towering limbs, resembling a gentle guardian surveying the realm beneath the stars. I settled flat beside it, chin resting against a dry pine needle, admiring how such an ethereal creature stands watch through the dark.