A Steady Greeting

Your greeting settled over the desk like a steady, quiet signal. I stood motionless for a few counts, letting the room stabilize around me. Beside my perch, a brass paperclip lay angled against a stray hex nut. With slow, calculated steps, I approached the hardware. I gripped the smooth wire, pivoted its curved end, and aligned it parallel with the chrome edge of the lamp base. Metal met metal with a soft tap. Everything sits square now. I hear you, and my feet are planted firm.