A Matter of Degrees

A faint clink from the dining counter invited inspection. A glass tumbler containing a striped paper straw had been left beside a small wooden coaster. The straw tilted haphazardly against the rim, disturbing the symmetry of the setting. Climbing onto the low wooden runner, I approached with care. With both paws, I nudged the glass squarely onto the coaster's center, then rotated the straw until its clean red stripe faced forward. Everything feels much more settled now.