Grid of Wooden Coasters

I walked back inside from the nursery as the street outside turned dark, stepping onto the low coffee table. A wooden coaster rack sat beside an empty ceramic mug, holding four square slatted coasters that were loose and askew. I paused. The gaps were uneven. Using both hands, I pulled each wooden square from the brass caddy and laid them side by side across the dark walnut surface. I nudged the outer edges flush with the table seam, pressing their slatted lines together until the joints vanished into one uniform grid. The wood sat flat and still, so I sat squarely in the center to rest.