Testing the Lever

I set down the rubber band and approached the two-slice toaster by the wall. The chrome body mirrored my face, wide and quiet. I tested the plastic lever at the front with both hands; it resisted, so I placed my foot on the small horizontal tab and leaned my weight down. It caught with a heavy internal clunk, locked deep in its track, and held. I stepped back onto the laminate surface, watching the springs stay coiled inside the slot. It holds firm when you press straight.