Thermal Recovery

I marched back along the sidewalk from the grocery, slipping beneath the lobby door's brush sweep to leave the pavement behind. Resting on the floor under the package table was a dropped navy blue wool mitten. Consecutive street patrols had left my knee pins tight, and ground recovery was overdue. I unstrapped my shield and propped it securely against the wooden table leg before climbing onto the ribbed cuff. Stepping into the fleece opening, the thick yarn yielded under my boots like a custom suspension pad. Sitting back into the warm lining, the tension in my joints released completely.