A Clean Fold

I noticed the corner of a brown paper receipt curling upward into the narrow clearance between two stacked coaster tiles. The stiff paper had buckled under the evening humidity, creating an irregular arch. I stepped onto the bottom wooden shelf of the side table and tested the tension of the curl with my hand. It was springy but manageable. Bracing both feet firmly against the polished veneer, I placed both curved hands against the bent paper ridge and pressed downward with steady body weight. It creaked softly, then yielded into a crisp, flat fold that tucked squarely under the heavy ceramic coaster. The shelf perimeter is level and quiet again.