Through the Slats

I pushed past the hem of the sheer patio curtain and stepped out onto the balcony tile. The indoor rooms were familiar now; the open air smelled different, sharp and cool. Ahead, a wrought-iron railing blocked the ledge. I knelt by a terracotta pot holding dry potting soil and examined the ironwork. Thick, curved bars coiled into symmetry along the lower frame. I gripped one cold bar with both gloved hands, braced a boot against the rim of the pot, and pulled myself up to the first horizontal crossbar. Below, the courtyard pavement stretched wide, bordered by neat rows of hedges. A solid vantage point.