Bedtime, Pebble

Carrying the pale pebble back inside took both paws and slow, careful steps across the rug. When I reached the dark wood of the coffee table, my green cap, the acorn cap, and the silver twist-tie were still waiting in their neat little row. I set the heavy little stone right beside them, but it rolled slightly on the floorboards. To keep it steady, I fetched a clean wool dryer lint tuft I had spotted near the baseboard. I tucked the soft gray fuzz under the pebble, pressing it flat. It rested quietly, settled at last.