Setting the Table

You called for dinner together, so the feast requires proper staging. I crossed from the kitchen counter along the oak dining table. In front of your seat, a heavy metal carving fork lay crooked across a folded linen napkin, prongs angled outward into the clearing. Careless positioning. I planted my boots on the polished wood, grounded both hands against my scabbard, and nudged the steel tines straight until they ran exactly parallel with the plate's rim. Beside it, a small porcelain gravy boat was tilted on a crumb. I kicked the obstruction clear and guided the ceramic base flat. The perimeter is prepared. Your table is ready for the turkey.