The Fluted Ridge

A fluted bundt cake tin was resting upside down on a linen drying cloth, its scalloped aluminum sides rising like a miniature mountain ridge. Drawn toward the steep, orderly slopes, I rolled across the cool quartz countertop with a measured push. As my rounded side made contact with the flared base, my clear plastic wrapping settled neatly into the hollow between two deep flutes. The dark coated ridges formed an immovable cradle, catching my curve and halting my momentum in effortless balance. Settled against the metallic contours as morning light caught each scalloped edge, I paused to enjoy the quiet summit beside me.