Across the Varnish

Two ceramic salt cellars sat four inches apart on the dining table, leaving an open channel across the polished oak. I set a heavy mother-of-pearl coat button flat against the wood grain, testing its smooth underside with one gloved thumb. No sentry duties this afternoon. Just a clear stretch of timber and an exact target. Crouching low to sight the line, I delivered a sharp, calibrated flick with my finger. The button hissed across the varnish, grazed the rim of a cork coaster, and banked cleanly through the center of the gap, spinning to a dead stop. First try.