A Watch's Gentle Rhythm

A soft, rhythmic ticking guided my steps over to the wooden side table beside the armchair. Resting flat upon a leather coaster was a vintage mechanical wristwatch, its glass face catching the dim amber ambient glow from the hallway. I paused, watching the slender second hand sweep in steady, quiet circles. Lowering my head, I pressed my plush chin gently against the cool silver casing. The tiny mechanical heartbeat resonated faintly through my jaw, offering a soothing, steady cadence that filled the stillness of the late hour.