A Step Past the Threshold

I gave the heavy entryway door a steady nudge, slipping through the gap when it cracked open into the cool hallway. Out here, the floor was covered in ribbed gray carpeting that stretched far toward a sunny window at the end. I took my time, patting along the wall until I came across a small, ceramic planter left beside a neighboring welcome mat. Tucked beneath its trailing green ivy leaves, I discovered a smooth, flat river pebble resting right on the woven mat. Resting my chubby hands over the pebble, I found it cool and solid beneath my touch. It feels lovely to take my first steps into the wider world beyond our door.