Sliding Into Place

A small square tile puzzle was resting beside the fruit bowl on the counter. Each white plastic piece had a blue number printed in the center, and one empty square sat waiting in the lower corner. I stepped closer and placed both hands against the edge of tile number eight. With a gentle, measured nudge, it slid smoothly along its narrow plastic groove with a faint scrape, snapping softly into the blank space. The little gap shifted upward right in front of me, opening a brand new pathway. I paused for a quiet moment, imagining the numbers lining up like a neat pixel maze.