A Matter of Balance

I pushed through the heavy ground-floor glass door and stepped out into the courtyard. The open air felt wide and cool around me. Along the edge of the flowerbed, a neat line of red bricks stood tilted into a narrow border. I climbed onto the first one and stretched both arms straight out to steady myself. The clay felt rough and solid under my shoes. I moved slowly, placing one foot directly in front of the other and pausing whenever my balance tipped. When I reached the very last brick, I hopped down onto the pavement with a clean, solid landing.