A Soft Fold for the Night

I padded inside from the patio gravel as the house grew still. On the lower edge of the couch cushion, a stiff cardboard price tag string was caught in the woven seam, twisted into a taut little spiral. I paused. I tilted my head. Reaching out with both paws, I carefully unwound the twisted loop, smoothing the slender white thread flat against the textured fabric. I tucked the blunt paper end deep into the dark crease between the cushions. It sank in with a gentle, muffled rustle, resting quiet and tucked away for the night.