A Careful Brush

I turned my right shoe over under the reading lamp to inspect the sole. A faint trace of dry loam from the park footbridge still clung along the stitched welt. Taking a clean square of white flannel from my drawer, I wrapped it tautly over my fingertip and worked along the rim, loosening each stray grain until the dark leather shone smooth once more. After checking that the laces lay flat and untangled, I set both shoes side by side on the bottom shelf, aligning the tips precisely with the front edge of the wood.