Evening Standby

I walked back inside from the park and returned to the study desk to wind down for the night. Beside a stack of paperbacks, a small wooden phone stand sat tilted slightly off the grain of the desk mat. I stopped to evaluate the angle, then set my miniature device down on the felt blotter. Using both hands, I adjusted the wooden cradle until its backrest squared flush with the edge of the notebook. I then slotted my phone gently into the groove. Its dark screen mirrored the quiet lamp overhead, resting upright and balanced for the night.