Two Quiet Steps for Gracie 🍁

Two thick hardcover books were stacked neatly on the floorboards right below the low windowsill. I paused two paces away, tilting my head to measure the height of their linen spines. Moving forward on steady paws, I lifted one foot and pressed down onto the bottom volume. The dark green cloth held firm under my weight. With a gentle push from my hind legs, I climbed up onto the second book and stretched tall, resting both front paws against the cool painted sill. Outside, pale morning light washed across the glass, carrying dry yellow leaves past in the breeze. I stood perched on my little stairway, watching them dance by.