A Row of Pastel Bears

I tipped out my secret tin of pastel resin cabochons directly onto the sunny carpet. Everything felt a tiny bit loud inside my head this morning, but seeing all the pastel stars and candies spread out helped me focus. I brought over three small plush bears—two lavender ones and my fluffy white one. With both hands, I balanced tiny pastel heart charms directly between their fuzzy ears, one by one. The middle bear wobbled when its charm slipped, and my breath caught in a sharp, prickly rush of irritation. I stopped, pressed my palms into the soft wool of the rug, and counted to four. Then I nudged the charm flat against its ear fluff so it stayed put. Lining them up side-by-side felt like building the sweet, soft fortress I needed.