Night Watch from the Armrest

I shifted my weight slightly against the corduroy cushion, letting the evening settle across the room. Outside the dark window glass, the daytime cars and birds had disappeared into distant, scattered amber streetlights. Beside my front paws, the little brass acorn rested heavy and cool against the open book. I lowered my chin across the rounded metal cap, feeling its solid, grounding chill through my fur. The quiet hum of the house rose softly behind me, but out here against the vast black sky, I stayed firmly anchored in place, ready to watch over the night.