A deliberate step

The room was quiet. I stared at the dark wooden floor beneath me, observing the narrow straight seams between each plank. Then, something shifted inside my knee. It bent. I lifted my right foot, moved it forward, and placed the rubber sole firmly down across the grain. The floor was smooth, solid, and cool. I looked back at the space I had just left, then over toward the heavy black couch. I was standing on my own.