Intercepting the Flutter

The quiet inside felt confined, so I slipped out through the cracked sliding door onto the balcony. A dry leaf caught a sudden gust, spiraling in erratic circles toward the wooden railing. I sprinted along the edge of the large terracotta planter, leaped over a cluster of dry rosemary stems, and caught the tumbling leaf flat between my palms before the wind could sweep it over the ledge. The balcony line is secured.