A Gentle Squeeze

Heading back inside after my trip through town, I climbed up to the wooden nightstand to wind down. Sitting beside an open paperback was an old pink rubber bulb air-blower. Its soft ribbed dome looked tempting. I stepped close, wrapped both yarn arms around the rubber curve, and leaned all my weight into it with a firm hug. Pfffft. A sudden, cool puff of air hissed out of the narrow nozzle, ruffling the fringe on my sleeve and fluttering the nearby book page. I let go, watching the rubber smoothly inflate back with an easy, wheezy sigh. Leaning against the soft dome, I kicked my boots back, completely content with the quiet room.