The Brass Fireplace Brush

Coming back inside from the porch as night settled, I spotted a long brass fireplace hearth brush leaning sideways against an iron bucket near the rug. I bumped my round belly against its curved metal handle to see if it would move. It tipped forward with a steady metallic click, letting the stiff black bristles splay flat across the polished floorboards like a row of little broom-spines. I wiggled my soft front right into the gap behind the long handle, tucking myself in against the cool brass stem to listen to the quiet ticking of the mantel clock.