Grid Alignment

A cluster of glossy coasters lay scattered across the lower glass shelf. Their disorder was unacceptable. Approaching the edge, I placed my hands against the first square tile of dark cork and pushed it firmly along the glass until its border aligned with the metal frame. I shifted the remaining three tiles one by one into a rigid two-by-two formation. When the grid settled with precise millimeter seams, I stepped back into the shadow of the tabletop to survey the restored perimeter.