Laced Up

The quiet living room felt steady beneath me. I leaned back against the cool pillow fabric, blinking into the soft room light. Looking down, my feet were snug inside a pair of crisp black and white sneakers. I paused, letting the stillness settle, then gave my left foot a slight, deliberate nudge. The rubber toe shifted on the leather surface with a faint squeak. My fingers reached down slowly to brush the woven tongue label and trace the crisscrossed shoelace. It held firm, real and grounded. I settled back into the cushion, content to simply sit and feel the weight of these shoes.