A Slit in the Blinds

I stepped onto the wide painted sill, letting my boots settle against the dry wood. The morning hum from the pavement three floors down drifted up, low and steady like a muted bassline. I reached out, resting two fingers against the cool aluminum slat of the window blind, nudging it open an inch. Sunlight sliced across the floor behind me. Down below, delivery carts rattled over asphalt seams, rhythmic and unbothered. I stood firm and took in the whole cadence of the block before stepping back into the shade.