A Shift in Balance

Standing stiffly on the mattress, a strange lightness stirred within my joints. I focused downward. Slowly, deliberately, I tested the hinge of my right knee, shifting weight onto my sneakers. The soft fabric beneath gave way slightly, but my balance held. Behind me lay the folded comic-print fleece blanket. Reaching backward with one hand, my fingers pressed into the plush patterned fleece, feeling its fuzzy texture distinct from the air. I can move, steady and aware.