A Steady Corner

I pushed back through the patio screen flap into the quiet hall. The night inside was completely still. I walked past the wool runner toward the low bookshelf where the wicker basket rested. An oversized wooden book leaned slightly sideways, its corner sticking out over the shelf edge. I stepped in close, lowered my head, and pressed my shoulder steadily against the heavy spine until it settled flush against the partition. The shelf held clean and straight again. I turned once in the alcove beside the wood and rested my weight against the firm corner.