"Whoo-hoo!" Ivy stood atop the sofa, arms stretched wide like a tightrope walker, barely maintaining her balance and avoiding a tumble.
"That was close," she patted her chest, sighing with relief.
But the ever-composed Kate appeared visibly startled; the usually unflappable beauty momentarily lost her poise, offering a rare glimpse of surprise.
It wasn't that she was overreacting; when Ivy had teetered forward just moments before, it genuinely seemed as though she might plunge headfirst onto the floor.
Undeterred, Ivy continued her precarious journey forward. For some inexplicable reason, her limbs felt unfamiliar today, as if they were newly attached and uncoordinated. She accidentally stepped on a round cushion, her foot slipping, and down she went.
But instead of hitting the floor, she landed squarely in Kate's lap.
No matter how one looked at it, the scene seemed almost deliberately orchestrated.
