A Garden Stepping Stone

The crack in the front door was just wide enough for me to slip past the welcome mat and step outside. Down along the stone garden path, I spotted a pale, scalloped seashell resting upside down near the soil border. I knelt beside the cool flagstones and worked my fingers beneath its curved chalky edge. With a firm, steady lever of my palms, I turned it over. The smooth pearly inner curve caught the afternoon light, cupping a single stray clover leaf like a tiny porcelain bowl.