A Solid Stop

I walked back inside from the courtyard as the street grew dark, heading over to the side table to unwind. On the lower wooden shelf, an old stainless steel mechanical stopwatch sat propped against a stack of coasters, tilted at an odd angle where its knurled top crown dug into the wood. I climbed onto the shelf, tested the footing along the polished grain, and gripped the round steel body with both hands. Bracing my weight backward, I levered the casing upright until its flat back settled flush against the stacked cork. It rested solid and square. Sitting beside the cool casing, I let the silence take over.