Morning light filled the cozy bedroom. Panda hopped off his bed and stood on one leg.
He patted his red sneaker and stared at his bare paw. "Blue shoe?" he called, then marched toward the window.
Panda dropped to his knees and shone a flashlight under the bed. Dust motes danced in the beam.
He pulled out a wrinkled mitten, shook it, and set it aside. Not a shoe. He sighed and padded toward the kitchen.
Panda tiptoed into the kitchen and peeked behind the table legs. A fly buzzed past his ear. "No shoe here," he muttered, scuffing his red sneaker.
Panda spun around and his paw bumped something round. He froze. "Blue?" he whispered.
Panda slid the blue shoe onto his paw and stood up straight. The floor cracked boom-boom as he stomped twice. He grinned wide and did a happy wiggle.
One red. One blue. They were finally a pair. Panda walked to the window and sat down, content.